For You I'll Die
by Maetel
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi protects the one bit of hope she has left? COMPLETE!
1. For You I'll Die

Author's Note: Okay, here it is. Chapter one of the long waited for sequel to Sanctuary. It'll follow the same basic layout of the original story -- lyrics at the beginning of each chapter with notes at the end. I'm trying to make sure that everything stays along the line of Sanctuary, but since it's been two years since I finished it, please let me know if there's something wrong.

* * *

But what am I supposed to do  
When all hope is gone?  
How am I supposed to leave you  
When you're the only one?  
I made a deal with Mr. Hades  
My soul he wants to buy  
For you I'll die

-Marion Raven "For You I'll Die"

Usagi sat on the balcony of Mamoru's apartment, shivering lightly because of the chill of the air. It was the place that sang with his presence. It was the only place where the rose he'd given her seemed to thrive.

Two weeks had passed since his departure, and it took everything that Usagi had within herself not to break down. Images had plagued her thoughts and infiltrated her nightmares. Dark images of death and torture. Warped memories of the two of them, but instead of her having killed herself, he'd been the one to do it. Instead of her silent tears, there'd been his chilling laughter. She'd woken up trembling, screaming out either of his names.

Her mother seemed to understand what was going on, letting the blonde cry on her shoulder and even miss school. She'd never been so appreciative for the woman. She knew that she'd have to slip back into normal life soon, but for now, she couldn't keep herself from focusing on the life she'd led so long ago.

The aspect of her that was the Princess mourned for their lost lover. She felt a sharp itch along the left side of her chest where the sword had been plunged over a millennium before. It was the strip of skin that burned whenever she woke from her nightmares and memories. It seemed to long for the feel of the blade to rip through it once again, but she was stronger than that now. She wasn't Serenity. Being Sailor Moon had made her stronger.

That was why she now sat outside his bedroom, leaning against the railing, staring out at the sky as it bled red, marking the end of another day. Her communicator beeped shrilly where it rested at the foot of his bed, buried within one of the pockets of her school bag. The senshi had taken up the habit of trying to keep track of her wherever she was. It was annoying, though she understood why. Despite all of her assurances that she was not going to repeat Serenity's actions, Usagi knew her senshi, especially Venus, wanted to make sure.

Sluggishly, she stumbled up to the bed and crumbled at its foot before digging the small calculator like device out. She pressed the flashing red light and was surprised to find that the person contacting her wasn't the visage she expected. Instead of the worn appearance of Rei's face, she saw the glamour induced energetic appearance of Mars.

"Usagi-chan, there's a youma attack in the shopping district," the fiery senshi stated quickly. "This thing is different from before. Hurr-" A shrill cry ripped from the speaker of Usagi's communicator as Mars was forcefully separated from her communicator.

A shot of electricity raced down Usagi's spine at the thought of one of the senshi being hurt. The Dark Kingdom hadn't attacked since Mamoru had gone to investigate them, and now… She clasped her hand over her chest, biting back tears of pain and anger as she forced out the henshin phrase. She shuddered as the feeling of pure energy passed over her, infusing her with strength that she didn't believe she had.

Usagi pushed herself to her feet and raced out onto the balcony, before using the ledge as a launching post to send herself soaring to the nearest rooftop. She felt the cool air pass over her face, numbing her cheeks as she continued to race. Cerulean eyes bled crystalline tears, on which she blamed the wind stinging her eyes. Golden hair ripped through the wind like banners.

She reached the scene of the battle, stopping to view it from the edge of a near by building. Her eyes took in the appearance of the youma, as well as the flaxen haired shitennou commanding it. The creature was, for once, male in appearance. Its visage was one of a man dressed like a character out of a sentai show that Shingo watched far too often.

Blue material stretched out across a chest that was flat and muscular while a simple visor covered his eyes. The thing's hair was a brilliant shade of crimson with flecks of black going through it. One arm turned into a deadly looking blade with a serrated edge. T he creature had to have been at least one and a half times the height of Sailor Jupiter. Height she was accustomed to, but seeing one so tall and still vaguely human was odd. It wasn't time to think about that though. This was the time to fight.

Sailor Moon's hand moved up to her brow, lightly fingering the top edge of her tiara before pulling it off and lifting it into the air. She went through the motions of powering it up, feeling the burn of it against her gloved palm before firing it at the creature. She listened to its scream, cringing at just how human it had sounded. There was a surge of nausea that washed over her at the sound. The after effects of Nephrite's torture were still coursing through her mind and taking a lesser toll on her physical form.

She blocked out the sensations as the youma fell to its knees, breathing heavily. Her tiara returned to her hand, leaving the blonde wondering why it hadn't destroyed the creature. Her question was left to the wind as Luna came racing up to her, a small pink and yellow device clutched in her jaws. She dropped the new item next to Sailor Moon's foot and looked up at her young princess.

As the blonde knelt down, she looked closely at the item, recognizing it as the moon stick she'd so often seen Queen Serenity use on the moon, though it seemed to be missing something. That was when she noticed the way the ginzuishou that hung around her neck seemed to glow in response to the weapon. She removed it from the thin bits of metal that attached the jewel to the necklace around her throat. She held it in front of her, watching as it floated to the small indentation where she knew it would fit.

When it took its place, the stick's handle seemed to change, extending so that she could easily handle it with two hands. The crescent moon on which the ginzuishou sat became crystal itself. Now, this was how she remembered the object looking.

This was when she remembered what it was used for. Her stomach rolled violently, churning, trying to purge itself of its contents. The creature before her had been human, and she'd attacked it without even thinking about it. She'd almost been hopeful that the attack would work. Hoping that the creature would be dust and she'd be allowed to go back to… Her home? Mamoru's apartment? She wasn't sure where she'd go. Just somewhere.

"Sailor Moon, use it now!" Luna commanded, drawing the girl out of her observational reverie. She nodded and held the stick before her, letting the words instinctively drift from shadowed memory to her lips.

"Moon healing escalation!" she cried out. A gasp escaped her as the light that escaped the ginzuishou almost blinded her. She could feel the energy pouring through her hands and into the staff, fueling the brilliance as it washed over everything, including Zoisite's youma. In an instant, she saw how it transformed, going from the television worthy appearance to that of a blonde boy dressed in a junior high uniform.

He seemed to be shivering and moaning softly as Mercury raced up to him, leaving the other senshi to make sure that Zoisite, who'd disappeared when Sailor Moon had used the ginzuishou to defeat the youma, or rather, human. The blonde quickly willed the crystal and moon stick to fade, returning them to the subspace pocket that she'd stored so many things in. She leapt down to the ground from the ledge she'd been standing on and rushed over to the group, trying to force down the guilt that desired to overtake her.

Before she reached them, a gust of wind that smelled of decay mixed with cherry blossoms slammed into her. She grunted in pain as she rammed into a tree. She briefly registered the sounds of the others calling out to her, but her attention was drawn to the youthful looking shitennou glaring at her.

"I was wondering what the person who'd managed to kill Nephrite was like. Just as pathetic looking as I'd imagined," he sneered as he watched the blonde in question rise to her feet where she'd fallen. "We've a bet going around the Dark Kingdom. How long can you survive without your precious Tuxedo Kamen?" He laughed mockingly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where's Mamoru?" Moon all but shouted. Her blue eyes were a mix of anger and fear and pain that blended into a deep azure foreign to the blonde's expression.

"So that's his name," Zoisite muttered with a shrug. "He's alive. Presently being trained for a future of service to Queen Beryl. She's taken an interest in him, though I couldn't figure out why for the life of me. Someone so pathetic as to be the acting protector of a fool like you. Maybe Beryl has a thing for the savior types."

She seemed to freeze as he spoke of Mamoru being trained to serve Beryl. Her memories, as well as the memory of the Silver Millennium, caused a shudder to rip through her as she remembered the look in Beryl's eyes as she'd stared at Endymion just moments before she'd killed him. Just moments before Serenity had killed herself.

That was when she noticed the silence that finally filled the back of her mind. Serenity's spirit seemed to have calmed. She could feel an anger slowly boiling, struggling to bubble out of control, but it was controllable for now. Usagi was just scared to think of how long it would be.

"Where is he?" she asked, her voice cold, monotone, dangerous. The senshi looked over at Usagi with surprised, and on Venus' part, terrified expressions. There was something different about the blonde girl, and that much was growing all the more apparent as her hair started to lighten. She was channeling the princess, and Venus wasn't sure how to deal with that.

Zoisite, however, was unimpressed. The girl could change her appearance? So what? He'd no fear of the awakened princess. She'd died once, she'd die again. That was the thought that dragged out a snicker from the blonde warrior as he spoke. "Probably warming Beryl's bed."

Before he could realize what was happening, a blinding flash of light erupted from the senshi of the moon. He noticed the cry of one of the other four, calling out, telling the others to brace themselves. He couldn't figure out why as the light washed over him in the same way that it had his former comrade.

After a moment, the light faded, softening to reveal Usagi as her hair darkened back to its standard blonde shade. She fell to her knees, trembling as the urge to sink into the inky blackness of unconsciousness washed over her mind. The foot falls of her fellow senshi rang in her ears as she looked up at them. Her pale eyes were clouded as she watched Mars kneel before her, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Usagi-chan?" Mars whispered softly, trying not to alarm the young blonde. "Usagi-chan, daijobu?"

She nodded slowly, immediately regretting the action. Dizziness was clawing at her senses, marking just how much energy she used. It was almost a nice feeling when compared to how she'd felt after some fights. Granted, after those fights, she didn't have Jupiter holding her up as she was doing now. If not for the brunette, Usagi had a feeling she'd be a pile on the ground.

"Daijobu, Mars, minna," she whispered softly, voice cracking despite her effort to keep it from doing so. She leaned her head onto the Amazonian senshi's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Just so tired. I think I pushed myself a little too far today."

"We should probably get someplace that she can get some rest," Mercury suggested softly as she scanned her leader with the minicomputer. "She used the ginzuishou a great deal and we don't know how much she knows about channeling energy just yet. She's probably wiped herself out more than I'm noticing."

As Mercury spoke, Jupiter nodded and hefted the girl onto her back. "My place is about a block from here. I can take care of her and call her house saying she needed to sleep over."

"Are you sure that'll go over well?" Mars asked. "Her father's been really protective since she was captured by Nephrite. Well, more than usual."

"I think so. Her mother has been pretty understanding about a lot of things," Jupiter stated, not knowing as to why the woman had been that way. Mars had yet to tell any of them that Usagi's mother had guessed what had actually been going on. She had a feeling that even Usagi didn't know just how much her mother had guessed.

"We just need to be careful. If you want, Mako-chan, I can call her for you. Say that she's fallen asleep while we were watching a movie or something," Mars suggested. "Considering how they've known me longer. It might just be a better idea."

The brunette nodded slowly, eyeing Rei carefully as the miko reverted back to her standard appearance, along with Minako and Ami. She was stuck for the moment until she got Sailor Moon back to her apartment. "That would be better I suppose. I've only met them once, so it might seem a little odd. Arigato, Rei-chan."

Minako, still wondering just what was happening to the girl leaning against Makoto, couldn't help but sigh. "Minna, once Usagi-chan is better, maybe we should talk about what's going on. Today was just a brief display of what she is truly capable of, and I'm thinking that we might want to get a handle on everything before it goes out of control."

Ami looked over at the blonde who'd been revealed as their real leader and nodded slowly. "The energy readings were pretty high. If she keeps using that sort of power, she'll be in greater danger than we already are." She frowned as she looked at the face of the slumbering princess. "I just hope that we can figure something out."

The others nodded before Makoto shifted Usagi once again. "I think I might want to get her to my place. She's not getting any lighter, and being seen with one of the Sailor Senshi might be a bad thing right now. I'll let you all know when she wakes up, all right?"

They each turned in their separate directions before Makoto leapt silently, opting to take the rooftops on her way back to her home.


	2. Overcome

**Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15   
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects. (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 2 of ?   
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: Here's the first glimpse into what's been going on with Mamoru. Hope everyone enjoys. :D **

Falling and crawling  
A fight to stand up  
Memory still haunts me  
In the dead of night  
- Within Temptation "Overcome"

Usagi felt… Something. The sensations around her weren't exactly cold, but there was alack of warmth surrounding her. It was a sort of numb without actually being numb. She could feel the sheets that she was lying on against her skin, the way the mattress beneath her gave beneath her weight, and the nigh overwhelming sense of darkness that seemed to press down on her.

Her entire form tensed in revulsion as she felt fingers drift over the skin of her arm, lightly toying with the fine hairs. A shudder passed through her involuntarily as she felt someone lean down to whisper something in her ear, though she couldn't see the person's face. There was an overwhelming sense of disgust as she felt their hair brush lightly over the skin of her chest and shoulder. She couldn't hear the person's voice though. A part of her was glad for that bit of mercy. She didn't think she wanted to see who was speaking to her. 

She groaned softly as she felt the person's hand come to rest above her heart. Her stomach clenched as she felt a surge of disgust rip through her. Why was this person touching her? Who was this person to touch her so casually? Why was she subject to being poked and prodded so easily?

Why couldn't she say anything? Why couldn't she do anything to stop this person? Why wasn't she even able to open her eyes and look into the face of the person who dared to lay a hand upon her? Why was she-

A voice pierced her thoughts. It was a disgusting sort of purr that she supposed was meant to sound seductive or alluring. It was familiar though. A chill had passed along her spine as she felt the words slip through her ear, though she couldn't make out the words. They were in a language she could only vaguely understand. A foreign tongue that danced just outside the realm of comprehension.

Finally, one word slipped through that she knew. That ripped through her like a blade. It made her scream aloud as she woke, flying up into a sitting position, knocking the covers that rested atop her to the ground. 

"Endymion…"

She'd been with him. For a moment, she had experienced what he was. She knew it. Every nerve in her body, every ounce of her soul knew it. The physical reactions were not her own. She never reacted in such disgust to anything. Her body never reacted in such a negative manner.

She shivered at the memory of everything. Especially the feel of the touches. She hadn't wanted to believe the words that Zoisite had been taunting her with just two nights before. She halfway couldn't, but she remembered the feelings of the fingers on her skin. The memory of the reactions that were still affecting her waking hours gave her some sense of calm. He still wasn't completely Beryl's, and for that much she was grateful.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room flew open, revealing her father standing there with one of the bats that he'd bought when Shingo had wanted to play baseball and her mother who was dashing up to her with a look of pure concern on her face.

"Usagi-chan, daijobu?" Kenji asked as Ikuko came to sit beside their shaken looking daughter. Her purple hair was frazzled from where she'd just been sleeping peacefully. 

The blonde nodded slowly as she looked into the worried eyes of her mother. "I'm fine, mama. Just… It was just a bad dream. I'm sorry that I alarmed you and papa."

"Do you want to talk about it, Usagi-chan?" Ikuko offered softly as she lightly stroked her daughter's flaxen hair. She could see that there was more than just a bad dream involved in all of this. Her daughter hadn't been the same since the night she'd been found clutching to a wilted rose crying. She wasn't sure what had happened that day, but since then,

Usagi, a girl who was once so open with everything that she felt, seemed to withdraw. She knew it was her daughter's role as Sailor Moon that was keeping her from fully explaining. Something about her life as the mysterious superheroine was something that her daughter wasn't willing to share.

Usagi shook her head. "No, mama. I'll be all right. It was just a surprising sort of nightmare." She offered her mother a shaky smile that she hoped would seem true enough in the pale light of her room. Her parents hadn't turned on the light, leaving her room illuminated by the ethereal light of the moon through pale pink curtains.

Kenji watched the two women of his life as they sat there. Ikuko's back was turned to him, but her hair reflected the moonlight in such a way that she seemed to glow violet. Usagi however, seemed almost like a broken angel. Her hair almost appeared to be dusted with silver as it fell about her, and the tears that had fallen from her eyes made small trails down her cheeks that sparkled sadly. For a moment, she appeared so many years older than her scant 15 years.

"I'll let you know if I need anything," Usagi said softly, drawing her father from his observation. "I think I just want to try to go back to sleep. I'm tired and I've got school in the morning."

Ikuko nodded slowly and pressed a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead. It wasn't much but she hoped that her daughter could draw some sort of support from it. She pulled away and carefully pushed a strand of blonde hair out of Usagi's face. "You know that if you ever want to talk, your papa and I are always here to listen. Whatever it is you need to talk about."

Usagi nodded and tried to smile gratefully at her mother. She felt bad for leaving her mother in the dark. Before becoming Sailor Moon, she'd gone to her mother about most things. Granted, school was not one of them, but for advice about friends and the occasional boy, she'd been a sort of fountain of wisdom. Now, she longed for those days.

The blonde watched as her parents walked out of the room, leaving her into the barely lit chamber. She could hear them muttering as they walked down the hall, and wondered briefly if they were disappointed in her for waking up screaming because of a nightmare. She'd not done that in so long. Not since before becoming Sailor Moon. Not since the things of nightmares turned out to be real.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead against the blanket that covered her. She stretched her arms around her legs, hugging them to her as she fought to try and keep herself from focusing on the memory that had haunted her nightmare.

Her pale eyes wouldn't shut. Her body was forcibly trying to prevent being sent back into the world that had plagued her earlier in the night.

"Mamoru…" she murmured softly, under her breath.

She wondered when he'd become such a major part of her life. Part of her was convinced that it was after the attack at the primary school, but she knew that wasn't it. He'd been a part of her life since the beginning. Since she'd first called him weird and he called her Odango.

She missed the nickname now, as much as she so often claimed to detest it.

"Usagi-chan?" she heard Luna said as the black cat pressed one of her paws against her charge's shin as she lightly nudged her arm in an attempt to offer some sort of comfort.

"I'm all right, Luna," replied Usagi as she lifted her gaze to look at the cat.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to check on you earlier. I wanted to check on you, but your parents came into the room, and I couldn't say anything. Your mother stayed outside the door for a while, and I didn't want to risk her hearing anything."

Usagi nodded slowly. "I understand. I think mama might suspect there's more than what I'm telling her. I can tell it when I look in her eyes."

Luna frowned at the idea of Ikuko actually knowing anything. It was a risk that she knew might come up. The senshi, aside from Makoto, all had to keep up a careful masquerade around their parents, hiding the truth about their duties. She knew that for some it was easier, but for the first, the task was difficult. She'd been close to her mother. Perhaps a side effect of having had such a close relationship with her mother in her past life.

"Luna, would I be wrong in telling her? About at least some of what is going on. Enough for them to know that-" Usagi stopped when she saw Luna shaking her head. There was a sadness in the cat's eyes.

"There are reasons as to why you cannot tell them who you are. If the Dark Kingdom ever discovered that they were related to you, they'd be in even more danger. You must think about the sort of stress that the knowledge would bring upon them. They'd-"

"They already have the knowledge of who I am and who my family is. Mamoru knows that, remember, Luna," she snapped, though it sounded more broken than impassioned. "Telling them at least a little will give them some idea of what to look out for. If they know who to trust and who not to-"

"We do not know for sure if what Zois-"

"It's true," the blonde said, cutting off her guardian. "That is what woke me up… He's alive, and he's there in the Dark Kingdom. I can't tell you everything, but… There was something different. Something wrong."

Usagi turned her head towards the window once more. For a moment, Luna could have sworn she saw a flicker in the girl's eyes. The haunted look seemed to have faded to a dead gaze that chilled her. Perhaps the senshi were right to remain on alert. Though, if Mamoru truly was alive, she couldn't think of a reason for the past to repeat itself. Usagi was an optimist.

It was just the princess that Luna worried about. The two girls in Luna's memory may have been one in the same, but there was a definite difference between their outlooks. She just hoped that Usagi's seemingly eternal optimism would keep her afloat long enough in the storm that was to come.

When Endymion began to regain consciousness, he could have sworn that he was elsewhere. Surrounded by varying shades of pink and white. And rabbits. Lots and lots of rabbits. His chest burned slightly, but he found that as much as he wanted to inspect the burning, he couldn't move. His arms were stiff but not quite sore.

At least the bedding beneath him was soft enough. He had half expected to find himself lying on the floor with stones stabbing into his spine. He wasn't sure why he'd expected such a strange setting, but he was glad to be wrong, nonetheless.

There was a soft clicking of heels as someone approached. He tried to turn his head and open his eyes, but found that it was as immobile as the rest of him. There was a minor feeling of dreadful anticipation that built up in him, stretching out from where it had formed, curled within his stomach. A shudder passed through him when the clicks stopped after having drawn far closer than he would have liked considering he couldn't move much.

A voice that made him shiver in disgust spoke softly in a tongue that was as alien to him as it was natural. It was a rich lyrical sort of speech that danced through his ears. The words were those of false concern and unhidden desire. He was almost sickened as he felt the mattress beneath him sunk a bit beneath the weight of a second form sitting on the edge.

"Endymion," he heard the voice say. Was that his- Yes, the name sounded right. Something was mis- Prince Endymion. Why was this woman speaking to him so informally as he listened to her continue on? It kept his mind from the way her fingers seemed to roam freely. She was speaking of how long he'd been asleep. Almost a week. What had happened exactly? Why had he been unconscious? Had there been a battle?

He groaned softly in disgust, though that certain sentiment wasn't picked up by the woman as her hand lightly danced across his chest. Was he supposed to be enticed by such movements? His instincts were telling him to get away, which he probably would have tried to do considering his present physical state if not for… Well, his present physical state.

"Look at me, Endymion," he heard the woman say. He both wanted to and didn't. He unfortunately wasn't capable of doing so.

A second voice, a man's that both calmed and angered Endymion for reasons he couldn't think of at the moment, rang out, speaking in a more familiar language.

"Perhaps he has not healed enough for his body to have stored that much energy," he suggested, letting Endymion know that he'd at least been in a battle. That was one question solved, but with so many left unanswered in its wake.

"Metallia's energy should have fully restored him by now. He was not strong enough to fight it off for as long as we had him in the chamber."

What were they talking about? Why did the name send infernos ripping through Endymion's heart like so many flaming arrows? Why did that anger leave his head throbbing in protest of such thoughts?

"Beryl-sama, perhaps this is not the best place to be discussing such matters. Should Endymion start t-"

"Then return to the throne room, and I'll be there shortly," Beryl commanded. A flash of an image crossed through Endymion's mind as he heard the name in his mind. A woman with long black hair who might have been a servant. No, a noble woman with black eyes that always seemed to be watching him.

He felt a burst of energy flit through the room, passing over him. It was familiar. All so familiar. What was happening to him?

"Wake soon, Endymion. I wish to see you look at me with those blue eyes," he heard the woman murmur before he felt something cold and scaly pass over his lips. Had those been her lips? He wasn't sure, but he was sure about one thing. The very idea of having been kissed by such lips left him feeling almost physically ill. If he had been mobile, Endymion had a feeling that he'd be spitting and wiping the feel from his mouth.

He was relieved when he felt the bed adjust so that it was once again only holding his weight. The clicking returned, but this time, it headed away from him. He almost hoped that he'd be back in the world of the pink and white upon waking. He couldn't think of any other time when such a combination of colors could be so appealing.


	3. Can't Stop the Rain

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel   
Rating: M 15   
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapter: 3 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: I honestly meant to work on Already Met You this weekend, but this thing just wouldn't let me. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed.

* * *

I can't stop the rain from fallin'  
I'm drownin in these tears I cry  
Since you left without a warning  
I face the dawn with sleepless eyes

Cascada "Can't Stop the Rain"

* * *

School had never seemed so difficult. Usagi's eyes drooped every few minutes, leaving her haunted throughout the day by the dream that had woken her during the night. The senshi approached her during the day, but she simply shook her head and offered them shaky smiles that left them worried. They respected the distance that she wanted them to keep, though they made sure to keep an eye on her.

It was Naru who Usagi turned to. The one girl who'd been so affected by everything in the recent past, but had never been privy to the secrets that were so present in her life. Usagi was both glad and repentant that her friend was kept so far in the dark.

"Usagi-chan, are you all right?" the auburn haired girl questioned as she tilted her head to look the blonde in the face during lunch. Usagi, who'd taken to sitting with Ami and Makoto, had decided to sit with her this time, and as happy as that should have made her, Naru couldn't help but worry.

She'd watched as her friend had changed, but nothing had seemed as drastic as the differences that had taken place over the past couple of weeks. Since Usagi had gone missing, she'd changed, and Naru couldn't shake the fear that nestled deeply in her heart at the idea that something had affected her friend to this extent.

"Naru-chan, if I tell you something, will you promise not to think that I'm crazy or anything?" she asked, her soft voice barely above a whisper.

Naru nodded and smiled comfortingly. "I promise. You know I'm not going to judge you, Usagi-chan. You've let me tell you too much."

"Thanks," she muttered as she turned her head to stare out towards the rest of their class. Umino was off, gathering the latest rumor from various classmates. Usagi had a feeling that was because Naru had told him to leave them alone for a while. If he was anything, it was devoted to Naru.

Usagi was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "You know those things that have been attacking the city for the past few months? Those creatures that the sailor senshi have been fighting?" She knew that Naru about them after having been attacked so often, and so didn't wait long for her to nod. "Well, you know how it was supposedly the senshi who found me after… Well, it was the senshi who found me, supposedly? It wasn't one of them. It was Mamoru who had."

"Mamoru?" Naru asked, not quite recognizing the name, though it did sound familiar. She let her memory skim over any possibility of who it might have been, when finally she came across why it was so familiar. That added onto the fact that Usagi's sudden disappearance one morning didn't seem to have any sort of connection. Granted, little to nothing was known about Usagi's time away except that the senshi had found her, cementing their place as local heroes outside of battle. To think that it was someone else, a normal guy no less, who had saved Usagi. That was just a little weird, all things considered. "The guy who used to pick on you in the mornings when you were late for school?"

The blonde nodded and chuckled sadly. "Something had happened recently, and he'd been really supporting when he found out. He wasn't as bad as I thought he was. Far from it."

The auburn haired girl turned her head to the side, staring into her friend's face. "You love him?" she murmured.

"Yeah," Usagi said quietly. She'd known since the night she'd been rescued by Mamoru. She'd known since she felt her heart being crushed within her chest by the both the scene of his death in his past life, as well as the fact that he was the princess'- her former lover. "I have for a while."

"Wow…" Naru breathed. "That's just… I never… I'm not sure how this is all connecting though. Why would I think you're crazy for all of this?"

"Because I think he's in danger now because of having saved me," came the reply. "Don't ask me to explain how. I just have a feeling."

"Have you talked to him about-" Naru stopped when she saw Usagi's head shake as her eyes clenched shut to hold back the tears that had already started to fall.

"Mamoru disappeared. I don't know exactly what happened, but-"

Naru wrapped her arms comfortingly around her friend as she sobbed softly. She silently considered taking the girl and getting her out of school for the rest of the day, just to try and get her mind off of what was bothering her. That was why she'd probably come to school though. She'd been out for a few days after having been abducted. This is probably what was being done to keep her mind off of what had happened.

Usagi spent the better part of lunch sobbing, and Naru did what she could to try and offer some sort of support for the blonde. She shooed Umino away twice and watched as the two girls that Usagi had been spending so much time with eyed them worriedly, but never approached. They looked as though they wanted to, leaving Naru wondering if they'd fought with Usagi recently. It didn't seem likely, but neither did them leaving Usagi alone, and that's what they seemed to be doing.

When the lunch tone sounded, Usagi seemed to gather herself enough that she'd be able to go through and keep herself calm. Throughout the day, Naru kept a close eye on her friend, wondering just how badly she felt. The feeling only got worse when the day ended, and Usagi finally walked up to the blue haired girl she'd seemingly been ignoring all day. Naru walked up to both of them and cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both girls.

"Usagi-chan, I was wondering if you want to sleep over on Saturday night," she offered.

The blonde looked to Ami for a moment before looking at Naru and gracing her with a small smile, as weak as it was. "Sure," she said with a nod. "Just call me with the details. I'll make sure to let mama know."

Naru quickly hugged her friend before hurrying towards the door. Ami watched as she left before turning her blue eyes to Usagi. "It's good to see you with Osaka-san again, Usagi-chan."

Usagi blinked and quirked an eyebrow. She made a hushed noise of agreement. "I feel bad for having lost so much touch with her. She's been my friend since we started primary school. I didn't realize how much we'd lost touch since this afternoon."

Ami had been avoiding talking about earlier in the day. She'd seen the way Usagi had started crying when speaking with Naru, and struggled with herself to keep from rushing to her friend. If Usagi- No, if the princess hadn't insisted on being left alone for the time being, she would have.

"Maybe the sleepover will do you some good," Ami said with a slight nod. "Besides, you know that we can contact you if there is any trouble."

Usagi opened her mouth to reply as a shrill beeping came from the pocket of her skirt. "Speak of the communicators and they go off like an alarm." She pulled out the offending noise maker and held it between herself and Ami so that they could both see the face of Mars pop up on the small screen.

"There's a youma attack a block away from the old stadium. Hurry," the raven haired fire senshi reported before the screen went blank.

"Ami-chan, go get Mako-chan. I'll meet you there," Usagi ordered gently as she started running towards the door of the classroom and out into the hall way. Before the blue haired girl could reply, Usagi was out the door, and her visage was replaced a moment later by the curious look of Makoto as she looked into the room.

"Youma?" she mouthed silently, since there were other students passing by behind her. The brunette watched as the girl genius nodded and darted towards her and out of the room. They both raced down the hall the blonde had just escaped down, but found that she was already long gone.

* * *

When the two arrived on the scene, they witnessed Venus launching another attack towards a creature that didn't seem to be weakened, despite how long it had been since the call had come in from Mars. The strange thing was, they couldn't see their leader anywhere.

It wasn't until they heard her shrill cry ending abruptly from within the walls of the stadium.

"Princess!" Venus cried as she started towards the stadium. She was stopped when a black rose flew into her path. She turned and looked to the one who'd released the floral based weapon, praying that it didn't mean what she'd thought it did.

"I'd suggest letting Kunzite and the princess _talk_," came the almost too smooth voice of Tuxedo Kamen from where he stood on a nearby light post, his red lined cape fluttering in the wind. "It's not everyday that one gets to take revenge for a fallen lover."

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama? You're alive? But… We thought…" muttered Venus. The inflection in his voice didn't bode well for what was happening; neither did the fact that he'd simply ignore what was taking place between Kunzite and Sailor Moon.

She heard him chuckle mockingly as he leapt down before her. He lifted a hand to where her tiara rested on her brow. "The infamous decoy. You cannot imagine how surprised the queen was to find out that Sailor Moon was the princess. Not Sailor V as we had been led to believe during Kunzite's time tracking you in England."

He leapt back before launching a barrage of roses towards the senshi as Mars and Jupiter finished off the youma once Mercury had discovered its weakness against ice. She'd frozen it in place leaving it at the mercy of the combined strength of Fire and Thunder.

Instead of simply piercing the ground as his roses once did, the black petal roses landed and released a flurry of explosions, sending the senshi diving for cover. They quickly moved, anticipating the next attack, but were left waiting when they saw that Tuxedo Kamen had vanished.

Little did they know, throughout the time he'd been standing against them, Endymion, the latest of Beryl's warriors was forcing himself to ignore the urge to go and observe the fight… Well, most likely slaughter of Sailor Moon at the hands of Kunzite. The man was a formidable fighter, but Endymion had been warned by Beryl not to let Kunzite destroy the princess. She was to be Beryl's prey, and no one else's.

So Endymion, who was minorly confused by the fact that the orange clad senshi had taken to calling him by his attire. He'd not taken the time to bother with correcting her. She'd learn soon enough.

When he reached the stadium, he stood in one of the entranceways, almost one hundred feet behind Kunzite, who was presently dangling a petite looking warrior a good foot off of the ground. He couldn't see her face, but he could see the girl's long hair falling around her.

"Kunzite, remember what Beryl-sama told us," he snapped. "Sailor Moon is to be hers. And not when she's already have destroyed. Beryl wanted her coherent enough to beg for her life."

He could tell that the white haired general wanted to say something, but there was no denying Beryl's wishes. Endymion watched as Kunzite threw the young warrior to the side, slamming her into a wall. She slid bonelessly to the ground, her hair, having fallen from where it had been up, hid her features from his view.

Kunzite turned to glare at Endymion. "Be glad that it was Beryl who delivered such an order," was all he said before teleporting from the room. The masked warrior left behind slowly walked up to the fallen blonde. He took a moment to study her as much as he could without shifting her. He could tell that she wasn't too badly injured. She'd survive to fight again. He was almost looking forward to it.

He turned when he heard the sounds of the senshi drawing near. He was tempted to stay and make sure they found her where she was in the shadows but felt Beryl's call at the back of his mind. Until their next battle then, he figured before teleporting away a moment before the senshi ran in without seeing him.

"Sailor Moon!" cried out Venus as she looked around for their leader. "Sailor Moon, can you hear me?"

"Are you getting a reading Mercury?" questioned Jupiter as she took a few steps to Venus' left.

"Almost… She's over here," the senshi of water stated as she raced to Venus' right. She almost tripped over her leader's prone form where it laid on the ground. She stopped just a moment before once she realized that she'd accidentally stepped on the girl's hair. She dropped to her knees, using her minicomputer and visor to check the extent of the moon senshi's injuries.

"How is she, Mercury?" questioned Jupiter as she knelt down beside the blue haired warrior.

"She's suffering from a few burns, but nothing too severe. There's some bruising throughout her entire body, but nothing life threatening. She may have to miss a few days of school, but she should be fine if she's allowed to rest."

Mars, who'd been silent since their encounter with Tuxedo Kamen, seemed visibly relieved. "We can take her to the temple. She should be able to rest there, and I can call her house saying she fell asleep studying or playing video games." Well, if her father answered anyways. Her mother… Ever since being told the truth, the woman had become a great deal of help in certain aspects. Especially when it came to keeping Usagi's father from worrying too much about his little girl after the time Nephrite had captured Usagi.

"That would be a good idea. We should also let Luna know what else was revealed today," Venus said. "If that truly was Tuxedo Kamen, and not some imposter, we're going to have to keep a closer eye on Usagi-chan. We thought he'd been destroyed, but if he's joined the Dark Kingdom, then we have no idea how much they know about her now. She could be in greater danger than before."

Both Mercury and Mars wanted to say something to refute the blonde's words, but they'd seen the same thing. Mamoru- No, Tuxedo Kamen had attacked them willingly.

"Which of us tells her about this though?" Jupiter questioned as Mercury stood, willing her minicomputer to her subspace pocket. "She took his disappearance hard enough. For her to learn that he's-"

"We don't tell her for now," Mars said simply. "We've no idea what's going to happen when we do. She may insist on going after him immediately, whether she's injured or not. You can't forget how she acted after he left."

Venus nodded. "It took us hours to convince her not to go in search of him. But that was when the princess' influence over her was at its strong-"

"And in this state, after being attacked by a Dark Kingdom warrior, who's to say whose influence is going to be stronger," Mars snapped. "We have to think of everything. Remember why you wanted us to keep them separate in the first place, Venus."

"Minna," came the soft voice of Mercury. "This is not the best place to be discussing this. We need to get Usagi-chan some place where she can rest without having to worry about the elements getting to her." She turned her eyes to the tallest of the senshi and motioned to the unconscious Sailor Moon. "Jupiter, would you mind carrying her?"

Venus and Mars looked down, almost ashamed because of their behavior as the brunette knelt down and carefully lifted Sailor Moon from the ground, her hair falling from the girl's face revealing angry looking burns and dirty scratches.

The green clad senshi frowned at how distressing her leader looked and quickly took off, hoping that the sooner the girl was somewhere safe, the faster she'd be healed. It wasn't the most concrete of logic, but it was enough to offer her some sort of hope. From what she'd seen, Usagi didn't deserve this sort of treatment.

It was moments before she realized that the other senshi were still behind her.


	4. Cold Heritage

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 4 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: Okay, I've done a bit of nudging with the timeline a bit. As you've noticed, Nephrite's death was Naru free. I'm a fan of the pairing, but I'm not the best at writing it simply because I'm a little too Jupiter Nep. Anyways, one thing kept from the anime is the Naru Umino pair. They're so cute. Anyways, this chapter has been one of my favorites so far to write. My time in school has given me more of an appreciation for getting into the heads of characters. Now if I could just stay out of my own head.

_Saving all my words only for you  
Forgive me  
Saving all my words only for you  
I don't know why_

Lacuna Coil "Cold Heritage"

The senshi were hiding something from her. She wasn't sure what, but ever since waking up in Rei's room after her first confrontation with Kunzite two evenings prior, Usagi had noticed that the girls were acting far too secretive. They all lowered their eyes when looking at her, and even the quiet Ami had taken to clamming up even further when the topic of the last battle was brought up.

She'd tried speaking of it with Minako whenever she came over to check up on her, but she proceeded to simply change the subject every time. It was grating on her nerves, but Usagi was hesitant simply because of the fact that if they were hiding something from her to this extent, it had to be something big.

Were they guilty for the state she'd been in after the fight? No… They'd come out worse. Well, they'd come out dead before, but that was at the fall of the Silver Millennium. Were they remembering something that led them to feeling guilty? Why? What could they have done? Did it have something to do with Mamoru? It had been their second battle without him. She knew how to handle herself in battle without him, even though it hurt. She'd survived- though just how, she wasn't sure. The senshi hadn't been anywhere in sight when she'd lost consciousness. In fact, she'd heard the battle between them and the youma they'd been facing. Maybe they'd heard something about him. They'd not gotten much out of Zoisite, especially since she'd lost control of herself and destroyed him.

She groaned and slammed her fist into the blanket that covered her. Why were they hiding something from her? But then, why would they? She knew they'd been told about Mamoru leaving. They'd admitted as much. She didn't think they'd hide something so huge from her again. Maybe she was just being paranoid though.

The blonde was pulled gently from her thoughts by a soft rapping at her bedroom door. She lifted her head as her mother entered the room carrying a bowl of soup. Usagi felt a pang of guilt, one of many she'd felt lately, as she recalled the lie Rei had told her mother. She'd collapsed while going down the stairs at the temple because of having caught a cold and banged herself up rather badly. It seemed the best sort of excuse, though Usagi honestly couldn't recall the last time she'd been sick.

"How are you feeling, Usagi-chan?" Ikuko asked as she watched her daughter pull herself up into a sitting position. She was surprised at how much better her daughter's appearance had become over the course of the past twenty-four hours. When Kenji had brought Usagi home from the temple the day before, she'd looked more like a battered porcelain doll rather than the little girl she'd raised for fourteen years.

"Better, Mama," Usagi chirped, though the cheer in the girl's voice was obviously forced. "I think I might be able to go back to school tomorrow."

"Are you sure you don't want to take tomorrow and Sunday to rest?" Ikuko asked, taking in her daughter's expression. "You don't want to push yourself too hard after being so sick that you collapsed."

"I know, Mama, but I told Naru-chan that I'd spend the night at her place. Besides, I'm feeling much better. I'm not even sore from the fall anymore," the blonde assured her, with a quick nod and grin that almost made Ikuko want to grab her daughter by the shoulders and demand she tell the truth. The older woman had a feeling that the accelerated recovery had something to do with the fact that her daughter was a senshi, though she wasn't going to make her daughter admit to it.

"If you're not feeling up to it, you can tell Naru that you can't make it. I'm sure she'd understand," she said instead.

Usagi looked at her mother's worried face and shook her head. "I'm honestly feeling better, Mama. If I'm not feeling well tomorrow, I'll tell Naru-chan then, but I honestly think I'm better now."

Ikuko smiled softly at her oldest child and nodded. "All right, Usagi-chan. Just take it easy, and make sure you call home if you start feeling ill again."

Usagi nodded before her mother pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes to try and keep back the guilty tears that clouded her vision. Her mother had been far too understanding lately, and it was tearing the small blonde apart inside. She bit her lip lightly as her mother rose from the bed and headed towards the door. She knew what she had to do, but for now, she was going to put it off. Allow her mother two more worry free nights

"Mama?" she called out suddenly.

"What is it, Usagi-chan?" Ikuko asked as she turned to look at her daughter.

She looked down for a moment, before clearing her throat. "When- When I get back on Sunday, do you think that we can talk about something?"

Ikuko blinked. "Of course, Usagi, but why wait until Sunday?"

"I just think that'll be a better time," Usagi said with a smile, the first one that Ikuko saw that didn't seem completely forced by the girl since her disappearance weeks before. The expression almost made the woman breathe a sigh of relief, but she'd do that once Usagi had opened up, if that is what she planned on doing come Sunday night.

"Well, all right then. I'll go ahead and let you eat in peace. Just call out to let me know when you're finished and I'll come up and get your dish." Ikuko then walked out of the room, leaving her daughter seemingly alone, though if she'd stayed beside the door for a moment more, she would have heard a second voice slipping from the room.

"For a moment, I thought she was onto something," Luna said as she hopped up onto the bed.

"I'm telling her, Luna," Usagi stated. "I'm tired of having to lie to her. I'm tired of seeing the worry on her face lately. Since Nephrite, it's like she's been terrified of my going out. I want her to know that she doesn't have to worry so much."

Luna frowned at the idea. "Don't you think that telling her that you're Sailor Moon will cause her more worry? Knowing that you fight youma isn't going to worry her?"

"She'll at least know that I'm capable of fighting them. That's better than her looking at me as though I'm going to never come back. That something's going to happen," Usagi said with a determined look entering her eyes. "I'm telling her Luna. After everything that she has done, she deserves to know."

Luna nodded solemnly. "I'll trust your judgment, Usagi-chan. Just make sure that whatever you tell her, she fully understands that whatever happens, she can't let it be known that she knows who you are."

"I know, Luna," she said. "That's why I want to make sure that I talk to her alone. Papa went to Kyushu for work this morning and isn't due back until Tuesday, and Shingo isn't due back from his school trip until late Sunday. I can talk to her before then. I just want someone to know."

Luna knew that her young protectorate meant to say "in case something happens to me again." The idea of Usagi being so… responsible was almost jarring. She doubted that it was the princess' influence that was making the girl think in such a way. The more she thought about it though, the more she thought it might have been something to do with Mamoru's disappearance.

Though Usagi hadn't said much about what she knew about Mamoru, there were a few things that Luna could gather from simply being in his apartment with the girl. The only scent in the entire place had been his, Motoki's, and the senshi's, and the fact that there were no photographs of a family outside of a photograph that looked more than a few years old. For the most part, he was alone. He'd no one to worry about him save those few he considered friends, and she didn't want to risk leaving countless others worrying about her. She wanted them to have at least some idea what had happened.

Luna just wished that she'd chosen a better means of doing so.

"Would you like me to be there, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked. "Just in case there are questions that she asks that you do not feel up to answering?"

Usagi nodded and reached out to scratch Luna between the ears as a sign of thanks. She then look over to the plate that her mother had left in the room, on the cleaned off spot on her night stand.

"Would you like something to eat, Luna?" she asked. "I'm not feeling up to having anything to eat right now." She took note of the cat's expression at her option to not eat. "What?"

"Usagi-chan, are you sure you're not getting sick?" the feline joked. "I don't think I've ever known you to turn down food."

Usagi mock glared at her guardian before sticking her tongue out. "I've not been moving around that much. I don't spend as much energy, so I'm not as hungry. You try being a Sailor Senshi who is constantly running around trying not to be late for school and not feel hungry all of the time." The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose up in the air. There was a playful grin dancing on her face, though Luna could see the effort that was behind it.

"All right. My apologies, Usagi-chan," Luna said with a slight laugh as she lightly nudged her nose against the dainty hand of the blonde. "Now, how about we see just what your mother made for you to eat? You might change your mind about wanting to eat something."

"Trust me, Luna. Unless there is a burger and fries from the arcade, and a chocolate shake waiting downstairs, I don't think I'm going to be that hungry," Usagi laughed as she reached over and placed her hand on the lid, pulling it up as Luna watched.

Luna's eye caught on the first sight of chocolate, deciding to use it to her advantage in trying to garner a true smile from the blonde. "So I can have everything, Usagi-chan?"

"I thought I said you could just a moment ago," Usagi said as she turned her head to see why exactly Luna had asked, for on the plate with various vegetables served with what looked like friend shrimp, was a slice, however thin, of chocolate pie.

"Then, I call the pie first!" Luna stated rather matter of factly,, hopping over Usagi and drawing nearer to the plate.

"Oi!" Usagi called out as she stretched her arm out to keep the confection from being devoured by the black furred cat. "You knew that was under there, didn't you?"

"I knew no such thing," Luna said putting on an air of innocence as Usagi held the dish with the pie above her. "I was just making sure that you meant what you said."

"Uh huh," Usagi said, letting herself unconsciously slip into the ease that was arguing over the simplest things with the cat, though this time it wasn't in an attempt to make her forget about something she'd done. "I'm so sure you didn't, Luna. But you know what they say about chocolate being bad for cats, so I don't want to risk you getting sick. I'm afraid that I just can't let you have_everything_ that was on the plate."

Luna listened as her young charge started giggling as the cat mock lunged at the plate.

Down the hall, Ikuko heard the laughter coming from her daughter's room and sighed. As much as she loved hearing her daughter happy, part of her knew that it wouldn't last until the conflict that had been taking place was over.

It was eight o'clock, half an hour after Ikuko came to gather the dish she'd left with Usagi that the blonde tried to fall asleep. Luna had left to go out for the night at the insistence of her young charge simply because the girl had seemed so set. Usagi was determined not to arrive late, simply because she just wanted a weekend where she could honestly think she was once again a part of a time where she was just a normal girl instead of a superhero who lost everything.

When she told Mamoru that accepting the role of Sailor Moon was the biggest mistake she ever made, she meant it. He'd been the only person she ever said that to, and probably would stay that way. He never expected anything of her except for her to be late and klutz out, and in all truth, she appreciated that more than he knew.

With the senshi, they'd see things from the point of view of senshi who were instinctively good at what they do. Who were meant to fight since birth, with fate shaping out their lives to forge personalities that would grant them a strength that they had in their past lives.

She wasn't born to that life. She was… She'd had the life that would allow her to be happiest. So she thought as she reflected on memories of discussions Serenity and Endymion had shared. In her past life however, she never anticipated the possibility of ever being a soldier.

Usagi groaned softly, lifting the covers over her head. She was going to have to stop thinking about this. She was going to have to focus on how to get him back. On how to go about setting him free from wherever he was. After that, she'd give herself time to worry about past life romances and ideas that floated freely through her mind.

But she was insistent upon having one last night of normality. That much wouldn't be denied her. That much was made all the more important with the awakening of Serenity. The princess wanted to be a normal girl, and Usagi wasn't going to let that chance be taken from her. She just had to hope things would go her way. If they didn't, she was going to make whatever youma or general that decided to attack pay for ruining that night. That much was most definitely assured.

* * *

Saturday rolled around, and that night, Usagi found herself sprawled out on the floor of Naru's room, listening to the latest tape that Naru had bought. It was the third time that it had played through, but Usagi wasn't noticing as she flipped it around in the player. It was just there for background noise anyways. It helped her simply focus on the day that had passed. They'd spent the day at school and the evening had been spent, watching anime and gossiping about just what was happening between certain students and even the latest drama that was the love life of Haruna-sensei.

Naru had fallen asleep less than two hours before, leaving Usagi restless. She was afraid to close her eyes and sleep, knowing that when she did, she'd be greeted by nightmares that she wasn't ready to face.

So she laid on the floor, listening to her friend snore lightly, and murmur something about Umino and Shrimp Tempura. Usagi couldn't keep from smiling at the noise though. She remembered the times when Naru would talk about more attractive guys than just Umino. Somehow though, during the time that Usagi had been viciously distracted by Youma attacks, Naru's tastes changed to include nerdy guys with coke bottle glasses and a thing for prune shakes. The smile faded from Usagi's face as she wondered just what else had changed about her friend. She used to know everything about Naru, but now, some things were making the girl seem like a perfect stranger.

Especially the fact that she was the one with all of the secrets. As much as Usagi wanted to though, she couldn't tell Naru the truth. Her mother was one thing. The woman had never been targeted by the Dark Kingdom. Naru… Naru was youma bait. From the first attack on, Naru had rarely escaped being caught up in the events that went on around her. There were so many times that Usagi wanted to apologize, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she took solace in the fact that Naru was safe and laughing in the classroom during breaks while Usagi's free time had been consumed by the other senshi and discussions about what to do.

Usagi reached over to the bag that held her clothes. On top of it was her broach. She picked up the trinket and held it in front of her eyes, wishing, for a long moment, that she could take it and throw it into the middle of the Pacific ocean and just be done with it. She knew that she couldn't though. Hate it as she did, Usagi knew that until the Dark Kingdom and Metallia were finished, she'd be the one charged with defending the Earth and the people on the planet.

"Stupid duty," she muttered softly before letting her hand drop to her chest, clutching the broach. She rolled onto her stomach, keeping the broach beneath her as she did so. She could feel the metal that was always faintly warm even through her pajama top. Comforting and spiteful all at once.

It was with those thoughts that she finally decided to make herself sleep. It might not be much, but if nights spent at Naru's before still counted for anything, she was going to need the extra energy. Mall stalking, trying on clothes, poking around through music stores, catching a movie. These were just a few things that Usagi had done hundreds of times without them ever having gotten old.

Tomorrow looked hopeful already.


	5. All of This Past

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 5 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: Okay, I'm trying to incorporate a bit of the time line that I'd originally started with. The movie mentioned in this chapter was released in 2005, the year I initially started Sanctuary. Also, the reference to the Aiuchi Rina video…. I had to give a slight nod to the live action Sailor Moon. Jyoji Shibue just amuses me. 

Here I go again  
Slipping further away  
Letting go again  
Of what keeps me in place  
I like it here  
But it scares me to death  
There is nothing here

Sarah Bettens "All of This Past"

* * *

Usagi's legs hurt, but she couldn't imagine feeling any other way at the moment. She and Naru had been mall stalking for hours, trying on clothes, modeling shoes that Usagi almost broke her neck in, and laughing at the random sights seen around the mall. Molly had finally let them stop outside the movie theatre located on the second floor, looking at all of the movies that were showing. 

There was a selection of horror movies, but Naru knew that Usagi wouldn't be able to sit through those. Usagi had never shown much interest in tokusatsu… Even if it did have the bishounen from the Aiuchi Rina video. And then she saw what seemed to look like a decent movie. She'd heard from Yumi about _A Stranger of Mine_ and even Usagi had seemed vaguely interested. 

"Ne, Usagi-chan, how about we see that movie Yumi mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It starts in a couple of minutes," Naru finally said, to which Usagi nodded after a moment of thought. It would give her a while to simply relax before real life took hold once again. Besides, it'd give her a moment to go over and think of what she was going to tell her mother that night. 

The pair went up to the ticket booth and, after buying tickets, went inside and took their seats near the back of the theatre. 

Meanwhile, the senshi seemed to be taking Usagi's example and simply taking some time to get their minds off of everything. Granted, Ami, Rei, and Makoto wished they'd chosen a different method after seeing Minako going gaga over a display in a music store with the image of Tohoshinki. They almost had to drag her away. 

They continued to survey the first floor, stopping at various shops, including the bookstore and an electronic store for Ami, who was almost tempted to buy the small Sailor Moon themed calculator for Usagi in an attempt to make her feel better, as well as see if it might make her more willing to do her homework on a daily basis. 

Instead, Rei managed to convince her that no matter what sort of trinkets were bought, the likelihood of Usagi willingly doing homework was slim, at best. Still, Ami made a note to come back and check it out later. 

Makoto wound up letting her stomach do the leading to the newest café that opened a few weeks before. Well, it wasn't so much a café as it was a confectioner's shop, but still, there were good drinks and sweet snacks.

They all sat at one of the tables furthest from everyone else in the café once they'd received their orders. Rei was lightly toying with the straw that was in her drink. She could feel the weight of the words that the other girls wanted to say.

There hadn't been an attack since they'd discovered what had happened to Mamoru, and their agreement not to bring it up with Usagi. Minako had wanted to tell what happened, but when she considered bringing it up, the memory of the Princess dying in the past. Ami held her tongue simply because of the way the girl had been affected by his disappearance; the blonde was human and could only take so much stress. Makoto had refused to tell, simply because she'd barely known the girl, and it wasn't her place to break the girl's heart that cruelly. Rei… Rei had adamantly refused. Emotions were Usagi's weakness, and for the time being, the girl needed to gather her strength. 

From what she'd seen, Usagi had been doing better, though she still didn't smile quite as often. It was good to hear that she finally seemed to be slipping back into life, rather than walking about like some sort of robot. Rei almost cheered at the mention of Usagi staying over at Naru's overnight. 

She just hoped that it stayed quiet. Usagi spending the day with Naru left them with a minor disadvantage should there be a youma, or worse, a shitennou who decided to attack. They could contact her if necessary though. 

Unfortunately, the sense of timing that Tuxedo Kamen seemed to have was proving to favor the Dark Kingdom at this point. There were soon screams coming from a short distance away in the mall while people were racing towards the exit in a near stampede of panicked victims-to-be. 

The four hurried out of the café, darting to the nearest bathroom, alerting its occupants of what was going on in the main part of the mall. Once cleared, the four called out their henshin phrases, letting the power wash over them, infusing them with strength that others could only dream about. Once complete, the four raced to the scene of the attack and found that the number of people who'd not escaped was worse than any of them could have imagined. The creature was gathering energy, so if they played the game right, everyone would come out all right. 

"Everyone ready?" questioned Venus. When the others nodded, she smiled. "All right. Mars, with me." 

It was obvious that at this point, Venus was letting her knowledge and place as leader shine through. Mercury and Jupiter watched as their two allies darted past the youma, a nasty looking creature with 

what looked like claw machine grabbers for hands and a joy stick protruding from its brow, before looking to each other. This was a common ploy used in training in the Silver Millennium. The blue haired warrior could only hope it worked. They had their memories, but if memory served, none of them were as strong as they once were. 

The blue and greed clad warriors called forth their attacks, the electricity of Jupiter's amplified by the moisture in the air. The youma couldn't dodge, but the combination wasn't enough to destroy it. Mars and Venus quickly followed suit however. The raven haired fire senshi momentarily stunned the creature with an ofuda before she and Venus combined their attacks. The three held baited breaths as they waited to see if the attacks had worked. 

A shiver of fear ran down their spines when they found that it didn't. 

"Mercury, contact Sailor Moon! Now!" Venus commanded as she reached into her subspace pocket for an item she never thought she'd be able to use after joining the others. A small golden crescent moon with three small jewels adorning it was pulled from the pocket, held between her thumb and her index finger. She lifted the trinket and held it between both hands, letting it fall open as she called out her attack—"Venus power! Crescent shower of love!" 

The senshi looked up as yellowish rain came pouring down upon them and the youma. They heard it cry out in pain, wondering just what was happening. They'd been told of Venus' abilities by Artemis, but this was something they'd never have expected. Did he not know of this attack?

Their thoughts were cut short as a black petaled rose flew past, slicing through the space between the two crescent moons that had been made by the compact. It and the golden moons struck the ground with an uncharacteristic clatter. 

"Now, now senshi. There will be none of these surprise tactics," taunted Endymion- no, Tuxedo Kamen where he sat on one of the tables, beneath a parasol that was meant to shield people from the light that poured through the skylight. It served well enough to keep Venus' rain off of him.

Once the precipitation ceased, the tuxedo clad man stood and looked towards the youma. "If you want to return to the Dark Kingdom, I suggest you go ahead and finish off these four before their leader shows up."

Mercury's eyes narrowed in frustration as Venus looked at her out of the corner of her eye. She'd not been able to contact Usagi, and at the moment, the four of them could only hope that they'd be able to hold off the youma until Moon was contacted. 

* * *

Usagi and Naru had been watching the movie for a good twenty minutes before the screen suddenly went black. The two looked above them, wondering what was happening. Had the film snapped or something? Did theatres even use film anymore? 

It was when they turned back around that Usagi noticed the way that people were starting to slump over in their seats. She was about to comment when she saw Naru's head loll back against her seat. 

"Naru-chan?" she asked softly, fingers gently prodding the red head's shoulder. The girl was out cold. Literally, beneath the short sleeved shirt she'd been wearing, Naru felt chilled. Usagi reached forward and lightly shook the person in front of her, muttering a soft, "Sumimasen." 

When that person fell forward, knocking himself on the head with the seat in front of him, Usagi began to worry. Mass unconsciousness was something that the blonde didn't care to think about. Especially when it was accompanied by the sound of a deep mocking laughter that sent chills down the blonde's spine. 

Slowly, before the white haired shitennou appeared, Usagi sank down to the floor, grimacing at the feel of everything beneath her hands and knees. She peered through the seats in front of her trying to keep her head low enough so that her odango were not visible. She watched as Kunzite appeared hovering above the first row with a small black crystal in his hand. It glowed brilliantly, and that fact left Usagi scared. Somehow, she had a feeling that it wasn't coincidence that led to everyone but her being asleep. 

She watched as he held the crystal before him. It spun as though it were caught in the middle of a tornado before it finally slowed and pointed in her general direction. She swallowed hard and was starting to wish she'd told Naru that she hadn't felt like seeing a movie. 

No time for brooding upon such things. She needed to get away from there fast, and that meant crawling. She murmured silently apologies as she felt shoes give beneath the weight of her knees. 

"Where are you, little princess?" she heard Kunzite call out, closer than she felt comfortable with. Any closer and he'd be on top of her. She'd been hoping to henshin after escaping, but there wasn't any choice left. 

She clutched the broach that was in her skirt pocket and pulled it up to her chest. She softly spoke the henshin phrase and felt as the power crashed into her slight form. The familiar weight of her fuku was less than the clothes she'd been wearing, and Sailor Moon had a feeling less was definitely going to be proving useful. Especially if it meant she wasn't going to be sticking to the floor as much. 

The blonde heroine leapt up from where she'd been when she felt an almost suffocating aura draw nearer. She backed up against the wall and turned to find Kunzite floating ominously above where she'd just been kneeling. 

"So Beryl was right about Nephrite's little stone. It still had its uses after all," she heard him comment as he clasped his hand around the glowing stone. Her heart clenched at the mention of Nephrite and stone as images of the stone chair flashed in her memory, as well as the pain that had ripped so many screams from her. 

"I don't know what exactly she was right about, Kunzite, but I'll make you wish that she'd been wrong," Usagi said as she summoned the Moon Stick to her hand. She lifted it in front of her, preparing herself for whatever Kunzite had planned. 

A smirk crossed over his olive features, darkening what could have been a beautiful face. Instead of speaking, like many of the other shitennou had been prone to do, Kunzite lifted a hand and sent a blast of Dark energy slamming into her. She groaned softly at the force behind the attack. When he stopped, 

she was amazed that her legs had been able to stay straight. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. There were innocent people in the theatre who were likely to get hurt if she didn't get out soon. 

"You want me, Kunzite?" she called out. "Come get me!" 

With those words, she dashed out of the theatre doors, only to find that as she made her way out, Kunzite had teleported there to wait on her. 

"You were saying, Sailor Moon," he mocked before letting loose another blast of energy at the petite blonde. She cried out this time, bringing a smile of malicious enjoyment to the shitennou's face. She was breathing shallowly when he finally ceased his attack. She gripped the wall behind her with her free hand as she leaned against it for support. 

"This," she said, her voice cold and low as she raised the moon stick above her head. "Moon healing escalation!" 

An eruption of pure energy poured from the crystal as Usagi felt her life force pouring into the weapon. She focused all her strength into the attack, watching through the glow it produced as Kunzite backed away quickly before lifting his cape in front of his eyes and teleporting away. She cut off the flow of power and felt her knees slowly revert from gelatin to bone and cartilage and muscle. She let her head fall back against the wall and sighed in relief. 

That'd teach him to try and corner her again. She hoped. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her remaining energy. That was when she heard it. The tale-tell sign that something big was happening. She reached into her subspace pocket, depositing the moon stick there while pulling forth the communicator. 

She pressed the flashing blue button and looked into the small display, noting that instead of Ami trying to contact her, it was Mercury. 

"Gomen, Mercury. Kunzite decided to attack the theatre," she explained quickly. 

"It's all right, Sailor Moon. We just need you at the food court. There's a youma attack," she stated, her voice fast and worried. There was a harsh sounding cry as Mercury's face turned green and yellow for a moment. "Never mind about the youma, but still, we need you here, now." 

Mercury closed the line of communication returning her communicator to her own subspace pocket before turning her attentions to the battle. The final combination of Venus and Jupiter's attacks managed to destroy the weakened youma completely. Hopefully, Moon would arrive soon, and they'd be able to take care of one more problem in healing Tuxedo Kamen. 

The ice senshi leapt back as their ally turned nemesis lunged at her, his cane having been replaced with a nasty looking sword. 

"Now what have you been told about not paying attention class, Sailor Mercury?" he taunted as he pulled away the sword and let loose a barrage of roses at the small warrior. 

"The same thing as you probably, so you might want to listen to your own advice," Mars called out as she let loose her fire soul attack. It looked as though it were going to hit as he raised his sword to block the attack. While it stopped the flame, it didn't stop the lightning that Jupiter had released at the same time. 

He all but roared in pain and aggravation at the fact that he'd fallen for such a tactic. Once the pain began to subside, Endymion lifted four roses, hurling one at each of the senshi as he spun in a quick circle, letting the illusion of Tuxedo Kamen fade into Endymion, prince of the Dark Kingdom. Each of the senshi managed to leap out of the way, not realizing that he was trying to herd them together. 

"Mercury, remember what we discussed in training," Venus called out. Within moments, Mercury unleashed a cloud of icy fog that clouded Endymion's sight.

"Clever trick, girls, but it's going to take more than a cloud to defeat me," he commented. 

He could hear the clacking of heels as the senshi moved to encircle him once again. Apparently, they'd not been stupid enough to keep from realizing what he'd been trying to do. Oh well, a minor set back. 

Endymion kept his ears open listening for the cry that accompanied the senshi's attacks, but he never noticed the soft sounds of chanting coming from the south. When the Ofuda touched his back, Endymion groaned in pain, but found himself temporarily immobilized. 

He could hear the sounds of Venus issuing orders, but there was a ringing in his ear that was slowly growing louder. The only thing he could make out definitely was the hurried sound of heels hitting the floor. 

So apparently, the great Sailor Moon, the warrior who'd almost been killed by the measly Kunzite, had arrived to strike the killing blow. 

He wondered if it would be necessary, in his frozen stupor. The senshi were calling out their attacks as the ringing and the steps grew deafening. He called out in near agony as his eardrums began to feel as though they were going to burst. 

And then it stopped. Or rather it was stopped by the sensation of something slamming into his back. The ofuda fell loose allowing him movement, and for a moment, Endymion wondered just what had managed to save him this time. Luck? 

No, he realized as he turned around to see a tiny blonde wearing a calf length yellow skirt, pink button down top, and denim jacket. She screamed as the force of the three more offensive attacks slammed into her, scorching her arms, and from what he could tell, her back. 

She'd taken the attack for him, and he couldn't figure out why for the life of him. And as she fell forward, that didn't matter. He caught her in his arms, carefully cradling the girl who'd saved him from a great deal more pain than he cared to think about. His cobalt eyes turned towards the senshi as the icy fog cleared, revealing the horrified faces of the four warriors. 

Endymion chuckled darkly. "Now, senshi. What would the world do if they knew that you attacked an innocent in all of this? I think I'll be taking her with me, just to let you girls think on this." 

Four pairs of frightened eyes watched as Endymion stood, gathering the petite victim in his arms. As he teleported away, Mars dove forward, hands outstretched, with a broken cry of, "Usagi-chan!"


	6. All the Same

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 6 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: Okay, I've been a bad writer girl. I've honestly been trying to come up with something for this chapter, but I wasn't sure what. It wasn't until I read another fic recently titled "In Darkness" by AngelONight that I felt inspiration hit me. Feel free to go by and read the amazing (Not to mention heartbreaking) story she wrote.

Author's Note 2: Early on in this chapter, I make reference to Hotei-osho. According to what I read, he's an equivalent to Santa Claus—A Buddhist monk who delivers toys to children. I just didn't want to make a reference to Santa when he wasn't necessarily associated with the holiday in Japan.

"I don't mind where you come from,

As long as you come to me.

I don't like illusions

I can't see them clearly."

Sick Puppies "All the Same"

It was the feeling of cold fingers against the overly heated skin of her back that woke her. Cold, lightly calloused fingers sent fait jolts of energy coursing through her otherwise numb frame. Tingling reached the tips of her own fingers and toes.

She knew the owner of the digits almost immediately. They belonged to the man who had annoyed her daily, saved her nightly, and owned her eternally. The man she'd thought had been captured and killed by the Dark Kingdom. They belonged to Mamoru, and it was that fact that left her uncaring as to whether she was dead or alive.

"Are you awake?" he asked, his voice a soft rumble in his chest.

He must have sensed something about her had changed as she had returned to the world of the living. She'd always heard about people's breathing changing as they'd slept, but she'd never had the opportunity to notice. Maybe that wasn't it though. Maybe she'd shifted. Or maybe the bond he once told her about was as active as it had ever been and he knew when she was sleeping and knew when she was awake. Not just her own personal knight in shining armor, but her own personal Hotei-osho*.

With that thought, Usagi had to wonder just how hard she'd hit her head on something to wind up in this dream world. That was when she realized that she wasn't quite sure where her dream world was exactly.

"Hai," she said, her voice turning into a whisper as she struggled to make use of what felt like much abused vocal chords.

She tried to move her hand to her throat to see if it was just the inside of her throat that felt so bad, but upon trying, she froze in pain. The muscles in her arm screamed at the slightest movement, bringing tears of near-agony to her eyes.

"Don't try moving. The healing chamber couldn't heal you fully, and a good deal of the damage that you took is still trying to repair itself," he told her gently, placing a hand on her forearm. She could feel energy slowly drifting from him to her, easing the pain she felt.

"I-I need to move," she whispered softly. "I-I need to sit up."

She could feel his eyes staring down at her from where he stood. His fingers had stopped, lingering on her arm, the energy still coursing from him to her. There was something distinctly different from what she remembered about the way his powers had once felt to her. He'd healed her before, sure, but there was something different this time. A taint she was trying hard to ignore. He was her Mamoru right now, and that's all that mattered to her.

A soft sigh escaped him. "Slowly, and if it hurts too badly, tell me. Your body needs to heal and pushing it to the point that you're just exhausting yourself with pain is foolish."

"Hai," she replied, letting him know she understood. Using the arm he'd been touching, she slowly pushed herself up, stopping as the screaming in her back grew too intense for her to move, in either direction. "My back… It's burning… I can't…"

Once again, she felt his fingers hovering just above her skin as she vocally told him where the worst of the pain was. Her blue eyes widened for a moment as she felt his hand press against where the worst of the burning was. His flesh felt like ice, and that was the only comfort until she felt the healing energy he used pour into her, easing her agony ever so slowly.

It faded completely after a moment, and she finished moving into a sitting position, her legs causing her a slight discomfort, but nothing compared to the way her back had burned. She looked at Mamoru and gasped at what she saw. He was pale, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he leaned against the surface she'd been laying on.

"Sit down. I'm sorry… I didn't… Healing weakened you didn't it?" she stumbled out.

"I just didn't expect your injuries to be so severe after having been removed from the healing chamber after being in it so long," he told her as he did as she told him and took a seat. He told himself that it would only be for a moment. He just needed to rest and refocus his energy

"What happened to me?" she asked. The last thing she honestly remembered was getting the call from Mercury about there being trouble after she'd fended off Kunzite at the movie theater.

"The senshi. Four of them were attacking, and you blocked the power from me," he explained without unnecessary detail. "I brought you here afterwards without telling anyone to heal you, though that is taking longer than I had expected. I haven't been able to figure out the why of either question."

She watched as his features contorted in confusion as he seemed to be trying to figure out something he wasn't voicing.

"I couldn't let them hurt you, Mamoru-kun," she said but was cut off when his eyes showed no recognition of his name.

"Who?" he asked after a moment. "Who is Mamoru?"

"You…"

She watched as he shook his head. "That's not my name. I am Endymion, Prince of the Dark Kingdom."

Usagi felt her heart freeze in her chest. That's why his power had felt tainted. That's why the place she'd been in her dream of him. The woman who'd been speaking… That meant she was…

She felt tears burning in her eyes as the realizations occurred to her one after the other. He had survived his journey to the Dark Kingdom, but now… Now he was one of the enemies. That would be why the senshi had attacked him. Why had he saved her though? Did he not know that she was Sailor Moon, his enemy? What was worse… He didn't even recognize the name he'd used in this life. Was he no longer the man she'd fallen in love with in this life? Or what about their past one?

"You're not… You're not Mamoru?" she asked as she looked at him with pleading blue eyes.

"Is that who you thought you were stopping the attacks from hitting? When you moved in between the senshi's attacks and myself?" he questioned. He knew she hadn't been saving him. Someone else had filled her mind's eye when she leapt into the fray and allowed herself to be so grievously injured.

"No… I'd hoped, but I just don't want anyone getting hurt. I've seen too much death to allow any more to take place," she stated as she allowed her eyes to close, a few of the tears that had built up falling down her cheeks.

"Everyone faces death in some way, whether they be warrior or civilian, leader or rebel. I've never heard of any who would willingly step into the path of death to save another from it," he commented.

"Seeing the death of a child because of me and then knowing that someone died for me… These would change anyone who was already tired of fighting," she said.

It was his turn to watch as her face became a twist of emotions. Instead of the confusion she'd seen on his face, he saw as loss etched itself deeply into the delicate features. Tears painted crystalline trails down her porcelain cheeks, leaving trails that he didn't want to see. The idea of her being in such pain left him feeling hollow where he usually felt bored or annoyed.

"How can one such as yourself already have tired of fighting?" he asked.

She shrugged, the delicate heaving of her shoulders leaving her suddenly feeling a slight draft along the skin just above her chest. She looked down and noticed the oversized shirt she'd been wearing.

"It is a long story that started with a tiny gift. Perhaps I'll tell it to you, if I am to stay here long enough," she said with a sad smile. "But first, can I ask what happened to my clothes? Well, my shirt and jacket."

He looked at her curiously wondering just what her story was. He doubted her staying much longer. He only wanted to keep her with him until she was healed, and at the rate he was working on her wounds, she'd be capable of return soon. If he were to keep his word to the senshi, he'd have to keep the girl longer. He would just have to find a way to conceal her presence from Kunzite and the insufferable presence that was Beryl.

He shook his head and shifted where he sat so that he was in less danger of sliding off to the floor.

"The attacked damaged the back of your clothing. I took some of mine and modified it so that I could work on your injuries while trying to maintain some of your modesty.

"So those in the Dark Kingdom care for modesty?" she joked softly, the whisper growing ever so slightly louder than what he'd heard from her. "The shitennou sure, but the monsters they send… I've seen more clothing on a lingerie mannequin at the mall."

Her use of the word referencing the four commanders of Beryl's armies struck a chord in him.

"How do you know that term?" Endymion askedsoftly, turning dark eyes to her.

Usagi thought quickly. No one was supposed to know that term were they? She'd been careful not to say the word youma, but the reference to the four kings… She mentally cursed herself before sighing, "I've heard it twice. Once when there was a strange blonde man whose face appeared in the sky a few months back. He referred to himself as such. The other was… A friend of mine and I were out and a creature attacked. A man with dark hair appeared and once again the reference came up when he announced his presence."

Endymion thought back to the two of whom she spoke. Jadeite and Nephrite had been before he'd been awoken, but a surge of hatred burned as he thought back to the North American division's leader. Jadeite however inspired pity in him. He'd been allowed to see the crystallized prison the blonde was trapped in and could only imagine the hell being so confined would be comparable to.

"They're gone. They will not be here to cause you any more worry, though the strongest of the four is still present in the Dark Kingdom. I'd say I'll protect you, but considering how he is my ally in battle, such promises are not mine to give," Endymion told her softly.

Usagi nodded and laughed only to grimace upon making the sound. "Do not worry. I've needed to learn to protect myself for a long time. Especially, when my friend is a monster magnet."

The prince shook his head. "If you see Kunzite, and you will know him when you see him if you've seen other shitennou, get away quickly, drawing as little notice to yourself as possible. He is dangerous and hell bent on destroying anyone who would dare to oppose him."

Usagi looked at the man she once knew as Mamoru, wondering if he'd have said the same thing, or would he have offered to protect her himself. As Tuxedo Kamen, he had rescued her repeatedly, giving her strength in her weakest moments. Endymion had died protecting her in their past life so she wasn't sure what to expect from this incarnation.

"Endymion-sama," she whispered softly.

"Hmm?"

She looked at him with sky blue eyes and took a deep breath. "Are we really in the Dark Kingdom?"

He nodded once.

"How long have I been here? I mean… I have a family in Tokyo and… The past few weeks have been hard on them. I… I want… I don't know how long I've been gone, and I don't know how long I am going to remain here. Is there any way which I can let them know that I am alive?"

He thought over her question, feeling that if he'd had a family other than the bunch of backstabbers in the Dark Kingdom (if one could consider them family in even the loosest sense of the term), he'd want them to know that he was safe.

"A message perhaps, but getting it to Tokyo would be a challenge to go undetected. I can try though. I'll find parchment for your to write a message on, and I will take it to your family when I go there nex-"

She watched as he flinched, his hands flying up to the sides of his head as though he were in pain.

"Confounded witch…" he growled. "Can she not think of a more subtle way to summon me?"

"Who?" Usagi questioned innocently as he stood on unsteady legs.

"Beryl," was all he said before teleporting out of the room.


	7. What You Don't Know

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 7 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: I wrote half of this chapter after reading yet another AngelONight fic, _Sorrow. _It made me wonder just how would Usagi's parents react. I hope I did them justice. As for Kenji's age… I took a guess based on how old Usagi was and how old he appeared in the anime.

Author's Note 2: With the lyrics chosen for this one, I wanted there to be a little bit of irony lingering amongst the corresponding images. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

What you don't know won't hurt you  
Maybe the lies are true  
Try to remember, try to forget  
Those yesterdays bleeding through

Jonatha Brooke "What You Don't Know"

One week. It had been one week since she'd last heard from Usagi. One week since they'd seen a report on the news about an attack at the mall which had left the occupants of the movie theater unconscious. One week since Rei had suddenly appeared at their door looking like she was about to burst into tears. One week since she became Sailor Mars before their eyes and told them the story that left her husband mute and her son a frightened little boy who cried for his sister.

IKuko had watched as Sailor Mars dropped to her knees and lowered her brow to the floor in an attempt to beg the forgiveness of the family for having lost their daughter. She sobbed, saying how Usagi had jumped into the middle of the fray between the senshi and an enemy, leaving the warriors incapable of rescuing her. Ikuko knew it was only a partial truth. There was something, an unknown variable, that the raven haired senshi wasn't telling them, and it revolved around the secret Usagi had been keeping from them for so long.

"Tell us the truth," Ikuko commanded as she stood and walked up to the red clad girl. "What really happened to Usagi? My family deserves to know the truth."

She could feel her husband's eyes on her back at her words. A wave of guilt crashed into her for having kept the secret of Usagi's identity from him for as long as she had. She'd never truly felt it to be her choice though.

She watched as Sailor Mars' head shot up to look at the woman with pleading eyes. The look made no difference, and when she realized it, Sailor Mars closed her violet eyes tightly and swallowed hard.

"Sailor Moon… Usagi… She moved to protect Tuxedo Kamen, not knowing that he was… is the enemy. We hadn't told her in an attempt to protect her from the pain. We failed when she was rendered unconscious by our attack. He escaped, taking her with him.

"Usagi-chan… Usagi-chan is Sailor Moon?" forced out, trying to suppress the quickly rising rage in his voice and stance. "She is your leader. Your friend! And you allowed her to be taken! You allowed my little girl to be captured by the enemy! Then you come here begging for our forgiveness when she could be dead! No. Forgiveness refused. In fact, if she isn't returned to us safely, I'll do my hardest to make the city know how you failed. I'll let this city know who the true monsters are."

Ikuko turned shocked eyes on her husband as he stood there shaking until the sound of breaking glass finally reached her ears. Shingo… She flew over to her younger child as she heard the sound of sobs rising up in the young boy where he stood in the kitchen entry way.

"Get out, Sailor Mars. Now." Kenji commanded. "If you dare to show up here again without my daughter, you'll find that the monsters who attack are the least of your worries."

Sailor Mars rose to her feet, her head hanging in shame. She cast one last look to the rest of Usagi's family, her heart contracting painfully in her chest. She'd always considered Usagi the lucky one for having her family around her. She'd never considered the other side of the proverbial coin. She never thought that Usagi's family would be the ones most hurt if their daughter ever disappeared.

With a broken sigh, she exited the house and left the neighborhood as quickly as she could.

Once Sailor Mars had gone, Kenji felt most of the rage transmute into sorrow, leaving the rest to dissipate throughout his frame. He dropped down onto the couch he'd been sitting on before his anger had taken hold. He watched as Ikuko tried to comfort Shingo and eventually took the boy upstairs, his soft, childish sobs carrying to his ears.

Ikuko. She's always been the more emotional one, but in this instance, it seemed the tables had truly been turned. He'd expected her to sob but instead, she called out Sailor Mars on the withheld information. How had she known they weren't being told the whole truth? How had she caught on when he was the one who was supposed to see the smallest details and find the details meant to bring out the truest image.

Minutes passed, allowing Kenji time to think about all of the things he should have noticed before. His daughter's erratic behavior. The sluggishness she'd exhibited of late. The way she seemed to be in danger so often. He'd even seen the ever growing number of injuries including tiny lacerations, bruises, and sprains, which he, at the time, attributed to the chronic gracelessness she'd suffered from since she was just a tiny slip of a girl. He'd seen all of this, so how could he have missed so much?

He'd been blissfully ignorant. That's how.

He never caught on to his wife's recent change in behavior. Where she had once been adamant about Usagi going to school, studying, and just bettering herself, Ikuko was now growing lax, her eyes filled with worry he had figured to be due to concern over the way the stress of recent events had had affected their daughter. As he thought over everything now, however, he came to realizations that left questions burning within him.

He sighed tremulously. When had life gotten so far out of control?

Every part of him ached – mind, body, spirit. His family was the only thing that could make him openly emotional. Everything he usually felt was usually channeled physically, which he worked on doing now in an attempt to keep a clear head. However, that left what anger he felt to dissipate into the bones and muscles of his 37 year old frame, leaving him feeling much older. The fear left his stomach rolling violently, trying to eschew the negativity from his body the only way it could.

Quiet footfalls drew him from his thoughts. The sight of his wife's soft lilac slippers stood out against the cream colored carpet. He let the observation distract him for a moment, giving him time to quell some of the sorrow and preemptive betrayal he was experiencing.

"You knew, didn't you?" he asked his wife quietly.

"I did," she nodded solemnly.

"How long?"

"A month. The night the senshi brought her back after she'd been kidnapped. Sailor Mars told me, but asked that I not reveal Usagi's secret to you or anyone else. The fact that it was really Usagi's secret only made it easier not to tell. I wanted her to tell us on her own. I wanted her to feel like she could trust us enough to tell us."

"If you'd told me, we could have taken steps to keep her safe," Kenji stated, rising to his feet, despite the way his muscles trembled. His tone brought forth his wife's sorrow in the form of silent tears, but he couldn't simply excuse the way she'd kept such information from him.

When Ikuko finally went upstairs an hour later, she looked into the room she and Kenji shared and saw it empty while the usually open door to the guest room was closed and, or so she figured, locked. She didn't go to either room in the end, however, instead, optioning to go into the pink and white themed chamber and curled up with what was once her daughter's favorite stuffed animal. They continued on this way for a week, with Ikuko going back to her room instead of her daughter's, with Kenji in the guest room. He refused to speak as he simmered in the anger left behind by the fact that she had willfully refused to tell him about the danger his daughter was in.

The night she went to the Tsukino family, Hino Rei trudged tiredly into the temple, physically and emotionally spent after what she'd just done. She looked at the three who'd been waiting for her return.

"They know," she informed them. "And her father blames us."

Makoto, the newest of the senshi, closed her eyes. The sentiment had been shared by the amazon herself, but to hear that someone actually vocalized it made the pain of the idea all the more excruciating. It was deeply rooted within her to protect those around her, and when she couldn't, she felt the failure all the more poignantly. It was even further within her that the belief that they had to protect their princess with their lives resided, feeding into the negativity she could feel growing towards the others.

Minako however felt that the blame rested solely on her shoulders. She was the leader. She was the one who had been fighting the longest. She was meant to be the one who should have seen all possible occurrences and variables in battle. She should have considered what not telling their princess could cause in terms of seeing her lover in battle.

Ami, the first to join Usagi in her battles felt the loss differently. She blamed no one. Instead, she withdrew from everything—from speaking, from feeling, from the others. She'd seen Prince Endymion as he gathered their leader in his arms, and when he teleported away, she'd shut down. Her closest friend was gone, and she'd done nothing. Instead of letting guilt overwhelm her, Ami stopped and allowed logic to take over, but even then it was failing.

Throughout the following week, these feelings built up dangerously.

Rei exhausted herself after school, trying to determine whether their leader was safe or not. She never received a hint. All she felt was darkness permeating the great fire, denying it, and her, the truth.

Minako reverted back to her Sailor V persona, consulting Artemis on strategy and Luna to see if the Dark Kingdom had been located. She'd called in her former connections trying to discover any sort of uprising in violence in an attempt to locate the Dark Kingdom herself. Find where the negativity was growing strongest and go from there.

Makoto trained endlessly, refusing to meet the eyes or even speak to any of her fellow senshi. She forced herself to a point in which she thought that perhaps she could take on Kunzite or even Endymion and defeat them long enough to get information on their princess. They'd failed. She'd succeed.

Ami, who once studied for hours on end, instead hacked into the various government run websites concerning geological occurrences, crime, meteorological observations, and even defense. She'd forsaken all but research, and physically, it wore away at her, but she felt as though the pains forced her to focus. It was that focus she needed until one day, in the courtyard of her school, she collapsed. Exhaustion combined with lack of proper nutrition had finally caught up with the girl.

It was this happening that brought them all to their senses. Makoto had watched as her ally fell and saw the world once more crumble around them. She'd raced over to the blue haired genius and lifted her carefully. She'd commanded everyone to not touch her friend, instead carrying her to the school infirmary herself. She accompanied the girl to the hospital where she met Ami's mother for the first time.

She watched as the doctor took in her daughter's appearance and a look of shame crossed her features. At first, Makoto thought the feeling was directed at the girl in the bed, but then she heard a soft sob escaped the doctor.

"Ami-chan, why didn't I see what you were doing to yourself?" was all she said before Makoto walked out of the room silently.

She stopped and saw Rei and Minako standing outside the door, twin expressions of worry and guilt on their faces.

"We can't keep doing this. We need each other as much as we need Usagi," Minako stated. "When Ami's recovered, we figure out our next step."

The others nodded in agreement. Separate worries were one thing, but the princess was the one thing they couldn't divide up amongst themselves. Not at the rate it was costing them.


	8. Give Me a Sign

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects? (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 6 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: Wow. Delayed update, but less than a year! This one took a bit of struggle, and it's mostly filler. Just trying to start building on a couple of things. Namely the relationship between Usagi and Endymion.

Author's Note 2: Not loving FF . Net's formatting style for stories. I miss being able to break up passages of time! *stumbles off grumbling*

* * *

No longer the lost,

No longer the same

And I can see you starting to break

I'll keep you alive

If you show me the way

Forever and ever

The scars will remain

I'm falling apart

Leave me here forever in the dark

Breaking Benjamin "Give Me a Sign"

Usagi remained in Endymion's chambers, awaiting his return. She'd frozen when she heard shuffling outside his door, wishing she'd known where her things were. Had she her broach, she figured that she might be able to defend herself if the time came. Instead, she felt defenseless. And sore. Definitely sore.

And alone. She awaited Endymion's return, but why? He was not Mamoru, and she doubted that he was like the Endymion who plagued her memories from the Silver Millennium. This one held no reason to want to keep her safe nor did he show any desire other than telling her to keep her head down, for all intensive purposes.

Ignoring the pain she felt, Usagi laid down on the bed she rested on, her legs curling up to her chest. The tenderness of her muscles faded after a few moments, and felt another aching fill her.

She had no real clue as to how long she'd been in the Dark Kingdom. Her parents must have been sick with worry. Her brother, despite their constant fighting, had to be terrified. Her senshi must have been blaming themselves. She needed to let them know that she was alive, but…

Could she? The pain would be there, but she knew that if she remained gone, she'd never have to fight in a battle again. She'd never have to stain her hands with the blood of an innocent as she'd done before. She'd never have to see a child die before her ever again.

She closed her eyes and knew such ideas were fantasy. So long as Beryl sought the crystal, the world would suffer. People would die painfully, and in the end, she'd be discovered. Her family and friends would pay for that while she remained hidden away.

She'd have to find a way home somehow, but for now, she just wanted to focus on having Mamoru returned to her. The fact that he was working on healing her had to be a sign that he was still himself. Just buried somewhere beneath the power of the Dark Kingdom. The power which she was supposed to fight. The power which had taken the entirety of her mother's life force to suppress because it was too strong to be destroyed.

How was she supposed to do the impossible? Just as she was starting to develop some confidence in herself, something like this had to happen.

She pressed her forehead to the top of her knees and cried silently as the thoughts filled her mind. Self doubt plagued her mind, leaving her feeling broken and several shades of useless.

Endymion teleported silently back to his chamber. Beryl had forced him to watch as Kunzite had been punished for his failure to destroy Sailor Moon and return with the ginzuishou. Not only had he been incapable of returning with it, he'd not been able to locate the senshi's leader whatsoever. It would be days before he would be battle ready again.

He closed off memories of the warrior's anguished cries as he had endured lash after last of energy from Beryl. He'd come out of the session bleeding and barely conscious.

He, however, found it easier to watch than the sight that greeted him as he arrived. The girl lay in a small pool of her own blood. Some of the lacerations on her back had yet to completely heal due to their depth. She'd curled up and the wound reopened bleeding small rivers down the pale flesh of her back.

"Girl, are you awake?" he questioned, cursing because he'd not taken the time to get her name.

When she did not answer, he stalked up to her, concern speeding up his movements. He placed a hand lightly on her arm and frowned softly as she flinched ever so delicately.

"You're still hurt. You need to relax your body for me to properly heal you," he told her. When she did nothing, he continued and said, "You're bleeding."

She turned red rimmed eyes to look at him and slowly uncurled, turning onto her stomach.

Endymion saw the pallor of her skin accentuating the thin streaks that ran over her cheeks. She held her eyes on his form, watching as his hand drifted over to her back and rested lightly near the middle of her spine. Soft warmth passed through her from where his fingers rested, and she could feel a sort of itch form on her skin as the wounds mended. She closed her eyes imagining that Endymion was still Mamoru, untainted and hers.

"It would be wise to refrain from taking that position again for a while," he suggested simply as his fingers trailed over her back. He leaned heavily on the bed, his head swimming. He needed to rest and having to heal her using his own gifts was taking its toll.

Usagi slowly rose, silently considering his words. "I've forced you to push yourself too hard again, haven't I?" she asked softly before moving to get out of the bed she'd been lying on. "You… You should lie down."

She regretted the words once she saw the stain her blood had created. The regret passed as she watched Endymion look at her through washed out blue eyes before collapsing to the floor.

Without a thought, Usagi dropped carefully to the floor beside him. She placed trembling hands on the sides of his face, and she felt her heart race in anxiety as she noticed how cold his skin was.

"Wake up, Endymion, please," she whispered. "I need you to wake up." She whimpered softly to herself as she tried to think of something to do. "I need you. Without you, there is no Mamo-chan…"

She looked up at the mattress. Taking a deep breath, Usagi stood on shaky legs and proceeded to removed the top sheets and saw that her blood hadn't touched the mattress beneath. She looked for a sheet to place over the top and saw only what looked to be a lone sheet that had been cast aside. Making her way over to it, she noticed that it was actually a blanket.

"Endymion must have tossed it here before placing me on the bed," she murmured to herself before lifting the mass in her arms. Grateful that it was lighter than she'd originally expected, Usagi carried it over and spread it out over the surface she'd previous been lying on.

Then came the difficult part. How was she to get Endymion's mass off of the floor? She didn't have the additional strength granted to her by her henshin. She barely had any strength if she understood what her muscles were telling her.

She had to try though. The floor was icy beneath her feet, and it certainly wasn't going to aide Endymion in getting warm.

Kneeling beside him, Usagi managed to lift his torso from the ground, but managed to leave herself winded with the exertion.

"Please, Mamo-chan, give me some help here," she pleaded softly, hoping that some part of him understood her plea.

Instead of getting help, he fell back to the ground, dragging her down to the ground with him. The arm she'd been using to support him was trapped beneath his weight, leaving Usagi stuck.

She sighed in frustration, not quite believing the fact that she was stuck in a half crouch half reclining position. One that really hurt, to be honest. She attempted to tug her arm from beneath him before realizing that her attempts weren't going to do anything.

So, she carefully positioned herself on the ground facing him, shivering lightly at the chill of the floor as it seeped through her skin to permeate her insides. Her hair rested beneath her like a pillow giving her that much of a cushion. She'd regret it when she had to deal with it getting pulled when she woke up, but for now, she was glad for small favors. Especially ones that let her forget everything that was taking place around her.

* * *

When Endymion woke, he felt a strange combination of warmth and ice. He tried to recall how he wound up on the floor, and recalled the small blonde having opened the cuts on her back for him to heal. Too much energy. He was spending too much energy. He wound up collapsing before realizing that much.

That explained the cold. What it didn't explain was how… He was going to have to learn her name before he came up with one of his own. That wasn't his concern at the moment. How had she ended up on the floor as well? He shifted a bit, lifting himself off of the pillow she must have given him before realizing that said pillow was her arm. Two questions down, none to go.

She was shivering though. Given how thin her clothes, that didn't surprise him. He was worried about her getting too cold. She was without the immunity to the cold that tainted the Dark Kingdom. Carefully, he picked up her tremulous form, holding her close. He looked at the bed she'd been laying upon moments… hours before. How much time had passed? Surely, no more than a few hours.

He placed her down on the bed, and reached over her once he freed his arm. As he pulled the blanket over her frail looking form, he attempted to pull away, only to find that her hands had a vise like grip on his shirt.

"Mamoru… No… Don't go," she whimpered softly, drawing a sigh from Endymion. He admired the person she called for in a way. To inspire such dedication that she reached out for him even in sleep and even risked her life for him. He thought about it for a moment. When he returned her to Earth, it was going to be to this Mamoru she called for if he could find him. He'd give her that bit of happiness as thanks for his life.

Not until she was healed though. He wasn't going to risk sending her back only to have her die shortly thereafter from reinjuring herself.

"I'm here," he whispered, hoping to placate the frightened whimpers. Gently, he brushed her golden locks of hair out of her face and sighed. "I'm not leaving you, little one."

As he realized even his words weren't going to ease her into letting go of reality, Endymion chuckled softly and slid carefully beside her, guaranteeing that the only contact between them was her hands in his shirt. She may have fallen asleep beside him on the floor, and he may have already seen her mostly topless, but propriety had to be maintained in some respect. For now, he was her acting guardian, and nothing nor no one was going to besmirch either of their names by insinuating improper conduct on either of their parts.

He had never been very good at lying to himself.


	9. I Don't Care

**Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects. (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 9 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A  
Author's Note: I usually have to put some sort of thought into the lyrics that go with the chapters, but this one fell into my lap as I was writing courtesy of my phone. Perhaps that's where I got the emotions from for this chapter. Anyways, it's going to be a little while before I return to the girls. They were proceeding to fall apart until Ami's collapse last we saw them. This is to cover the time that passed. I'll check in on them again, though. Don't worry. **

**Author's Note 2: To those of you wondering where this is headed at the end of this chapter, know that I have the ending in mind and partially written. It's just taking me a little while to get where I feel like the ending isn't completely rushed. **

* * *

_"I try to make it through my life,_

_In my way, there's you._

_I try to make it through these lies,_

_And that's all I do."_

**Apocalyptica feat Adam Gontier, "I Don't Care"**

* * *

The first thing Usagi registered was that she wasn't cold. She'd fallen asleep thinking that she was going to wind up getting hypothermia from the floor. Had she adjusted? Or had her powers unconsciously kicked in? They'd never bothered keeping her warm on cold nights in Tokyo. What—

A soft exhale came from behind her. She turned so that she could see its source, and it finally hit her. Endymion must have woken up long enough to get them both off of the floor. Why he was lying beside her was a mystery she couldn't figure out however. She took a moment to savor the occurrence.

The Dark Kingdom had come up with the surest way to torture her, she was convinced. Instead of having killed Mamoru as she had thought, Beryl had him converted into one of her warriors. Not entirely though. Mamoru was strong enough to retain the part of himself that cared for others. If that would remain once he found out who she really was… The curse of the brooch once again.

She reached out and lightly brushed his sleep mussed hair from his face. His skin was still slightly chilled, though she had to suppose that came from being here so long. His breath wafted against her wrist delicately, sending shivers up and down her arm.

She wanted him to awaken not as Endymion, though she knew without the crystal, that wouldn't happen. If she dared to use it… She had to find it and her brooch, neither of which was in her subspace pocket, first.

She looked around the room for her clothing, but saw none of their remains lying about. She wondered if this wasn't for the best though. So long as she didn't have her brooch, she couldn't access the crystal. So far as she knew anyways. Without the crystal or her transformation, she wasn't as much of a target. She could try to reach Mamoru in another way. Free him in a way that left them both safe. Though, that would have to be _after_ he had taken her out of the Dark Kingdom. Otherwise, she wasn't sure how to get back home.

"Mamo-chan… help me," she whispered softly. "You still have a promise to keep, and I'm not counting this as you returning to me."

Her fingers gently traced his features, down to his lips which she remembered with a rush of warmth to her cheeks. He'd kissed her with those lips. Called her Usako with those lips. Lied to her with those lips…

Her chest tightened as a sob fought its way out of her. Forget saving him with herself. She'd find a way to do it with her crystal, once she found it again. She just couldn't deal with seeing Mamoru's face as an enemy. She couldn't deal with the fact that he wasn't hers anymore.

Her blue eyes clenched tightly shut as she found herself staring at a blur rather than the source of her pain.

She fought back the sobs that rose up in her until she felt his arms pull her against his chest. He held her to him just as Mamoru had and the agony screamed within her at the memories rose.

"You're not him. You're not," she cried softly, slamming a tiny fist into his chest. "He lied, and you're not him."

"I'm sorry," Endymion apologized, his hushed voice just inches above her ear.

They laid there as she poured her heart out into his chest. He held her tightly, feeling an unfamiliar discomfort at the sounds of her sorrow. Anger at himself which he couldn't understand. Guilt for not being the person she wanted.

How was it that this girl was making him feel like this? How was it that he wanted to do nothing more than make her pain disappear?

She eventually pushed him away and sniffed softly, refusing to look at him. Ashamed for her tears, he surmised. Or perhaps he resembled the person she'd mistaken him for more than he thought.

"Is there anywhere that I can clean myself up here?" she asked softly. "I think I might be a little more collected once I am clean."

Of all the things he would have expected, that most certainly didn't. It made sense though. She was human and female. Even the female youma were prone to bouts of vanity which led to them bathing for hours in the few areas where the water was available for days at a time.

"Of course," he told her as he slowly moved to sit. He tested his strength for a moment, determining if his energy had returned enough to go find something for her to wear. He didn't think she'd appreciate having to wear his clothes much more than she had to.

As he stood, she followed him towards what she guessed to be the bathroom. The door was barely perceptible as he opened it, allowing her entrance.

"The water will automatically adjust for you. Be careful. You're still injured," he advised. "I'll try to find something for you to wear while you're in there."

"Might I ask what happened to my clothing? I know you said they'd been damaged during the—"

"The remnants are in there. I have yet to figure out what to do with them since it is not safe for you to be noticed here," he told her.

"Thank you," she replied before stepping into the washroom, closing the door behind her. She turned her head and saw that there were various cloths that were stacked like the towels in her mother's linen closet. Perhaps that's what they were. She ran her hand over the material of the top one and felt a weary smile form on her face at the feeling beneath her fingers. They were soft. Similar to the cloth that her senshi fuku's body suit was made of.

The thought made her smile crumble into a look of disgust. She was sick of being Sailor Moon, she realized. It was bringing her nothing but misery, and she was sick of it. She wondered if she could avoid it all by just staying in the Dark Kingdom. Reveal her location only for a moment before disappearing amongst the inhabitants of this place. She had the disguise pen with her. She could look like a youma, and with her powers, she could fool a couple of people, so long as they didn't notice she wasn't using dark energy.

She considered bringing this up to Endymion, before discarding the idea. She couldn't be here with him without him being Mamoru. As long as he was here, she knew that he would never be Mamoru for long.

"Stupid catch 22s," she muttered before turning her attention outward to the room once again. She looked to her left and saw a large looking tub of water, already full. She walked up to it and saw that it was clean and waiting for its next use. She dipped her fingers and felt the substance warm to a comfortable temperature.

Carefully, Usagi disrobed, finally seeing some of the damage that her body had suffered. There were two new scars amongst the small smattering that marred the otherwise smooth flesh of her abdomen. She wondered if he noticed those or if he just figured them to be from the attack she'd blocked. Her arms were lightly bruised, but the coloration was on the healing end of the spectrum.

Her legs had taken no outward abuse, though they were still tender when she moved. The effects of electric currents, maybe? She didn't know. She would have to ask Ami about that one day.

With a soft sigh, Usagi climbed into the tub and sank into the liquid within. It wasn't water. It soothed her tired form in a way that water couldn't. Something enchanted perhaps?

She remained in the fluid for what felt like hours, her body relaxing in a way she'd not been allowed to truly in months. Her hair flowed around her in the liquid coming cleaner than she'd managed to get it since her life had grown so hectic. It looked lighter than she'd seen it since she'd become Sailor Moon, almost platinum.

No, it wasn't cleaner. The water was forcing her true nature to come out. Any longer in the water, and she would be easily recognizable with long silver hair instead of gold. The odango which Mamoru picked on would no longer be childish but instead regal. She couldn't let that happen.

With a soft sigh, she lifted herself from the liquid letting it drip from her petite frame. She stepped out onto the floor and found another way in which the bath had been different. Whereas she had to normally be careful not to slip while exiting the tub, the floor felt solid beneath her feet.

She was still dripping though. Carefully, she walked over to the shelf holding the cloths and grabbed one, wrapping it carefully around her body. The material was clingy against her damp form, but not uncomfortably so. It really was like her fuku.

She continued to her clothes and saw that he'd been understating by calling them fragments. The back of her shirt and jacket were non-existent and her skirt was scorched. Blood stained the material of everything she had been wearing. She felt fortunate to even be able to find a pocket on her jacket. She reached in and found the smooth metal of her henshin brooch. She pulled it out and deposited it in her subspace pocket instead.

Usagi stuck her head out of the washroom to see Endymion pacing his room. He stopped when he saw her and laughed softly.

He'd been worried that perhaps she'd fallen asleep. She would not have gotten chilled, but the cleaning methods of the Dark Kingdom have been known to become addictive to some youma. He didn't consider what might have happened to a normal human girl.

Assured that she was all right, he finally had a chance to notice the slight differences in her. Her hair. It almost shone around her, emphasizing her fragile beauty.

"Endymion-sama," she called quietly. "Are there any clothes?"

He shook his head, drawn back to the world by her words. "Yes, hanging beside the door. But before you go back in, might I ask you something?"

_Don't let it be have I always had the crescent moon on my forehead, _she thought as she realized she hadn't considered its reappearance while she was in the bath. But now that he was staring at her, or at least she felt like he was staring at her, she couldn't help but be completely self conscious of her true nature.

"What might I call you?" he asked instead.

She blinked at his question and tilted her head to the side. "Usagi. My name's Usagi."

She felt vulnerable at her admission. To hear Mamoru's voice calling her Usagi once more might break her, she knew. She almost regretted telling him.

"Thank you," he replied before she reached out to take the clothes hanging beside the door.

Slowly, she dressed, taking note that the clothes were fairly modest, but still for a female. A busty female, she noticed, feeling rather inadequate. The top was loose and a deep purple. It almost swallowed her, coming down below the shorts he'd managed to find. They were form fitting and made her glad that she was physically smaller than many of her enemies.

She eventually walked out into Endymion's chambers once again, her arms wrapped around her midsection. He was once more sitting, but this time in a chair she'd not noticed before. Perhaps it hadn't been there before? She drifted over and climbed onto the bed, pulling her legs beneath her.

"Who is he?" Endymion asked. "The one you cry for? This Mamoru."

Usagi felt her heart clench in her chest at his question. She couldn't very well say, "He's you."

Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she took a deep breath. "He… He's… He was my worst enemy and my best friend."

"You cared for him?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah. Deeply. This past year has been insane, and he's been the one stable point. Keeping my spirit up while everything seemed intent on dragging me down. Even when we fought, there was no real viciousness. Well, none intended anyways. We were just… We were finally moving past all of the arguing when he… When he… he disappeared."

Endymion watched her silently for a moment. "You thought I was he. When the senshi were attacking. That was why you took the brunt of their power." Her head moved in the affirmative. "You cry because you grieve his loss." She didn't respond, allowing him to muse on his thoughts. "If I find him, would—"

"Please, don't finish that sentence. I couldn't take it," she whispered softly. "He's dead. He'd be with me now if he wasn't."

"Surely, you don't believe—"

Usagi looked at him with pleading blue eyes. Eyes that begged him to let the subject drop. "I have to. Mamoru wouldn't lie to me. He'd have come back. He told me he would."

Endymion stood and walked over to her. He lifted a hand to gently brush the tears from her face. His thumb brushed lightly over her cheek bringing even more tears to her eyes. He felt her shaking and felt the air leave his chest at the pain he could feel emanating from the petite blonde sitting on his bed.

Usagi looked up at Endymion, her blue eyes revealing the shattered soul within the small girl. They narrowed ever so slightly as she whispered the words, "I hate you."

There was nothing else she could say. She was so close to telling him that he was the man she cried for, but knew that to do so would be a foolish move. So was uttering those words though, and she knew it. She felt a distinct feeling of loss as his hand dropped from her cheek to hang limply at his side.

She expected him to grow angry at the words. To banish her from his sight and back to Earth. She never expected him to, instead, teleport out of the room and leave her by herself within the cold chamber.

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan," she murmured softly. "I don't know what else to do anymore."


	10. The Last Song I'm Wasting On You

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15 (Rating may change in the next few chapters)  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects. (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 10 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A

Author's note: The past few chapters, including chapter 6 all encompass the week during which was mentioned in chapter 7. This chapter rounds out that week for the characters. One reviewer, Teela's Snakestaff, asked about a time difference between the Dark Kingdom and Tokyo. For all intensive purposes I'm running with the idea of for every 1 day that passes in the Dark Kingdom, 2 pass in Tokyo. That would leave the senshi at a little over a week with Usagi having experience 2 unconscious and two conscious (well, mostly).

Author's Note 2: The locations listed are meant to correspond to the specific areas the Shitennou had control over. I assumed with Nephrite and Zoicite though, though Jedite was of North America and Kunzite of the Middle East, if memory serves.

Author's Note 3: I think I'm getting to a point where I can see this fic ending in three or four more chapters, sadly. I've enjoyed coming back to this fic, and everyone, you cannot believe how much it means to me. A good deal has happened since I started this piece, and it will be a milestone for me to finally be able to say I've finished it (or anything else that I've started within the past 2-3 years). With that said, I'll go on and let you read this chapter. Please, read and review. Thanks. :)

* * *

_Demanding my response_

_Don't bother breaking the door down_

_I found my way out_

_And you'll never hurt me again._

**"The Last Song I'm Wasting on You" by Evanescence**

* * *

"_I hate you."_ The words repeated over in Endymion's mind as he lashed out at any youma who came to him with carefully cavalier swings of his sword and precisely aimed roses.

His ire fueled his movements, allowing his victims no mercy. They appeared at his command expecting nothing of the deaths which awaited them.

He struggled within himself. Why had she spoken to him in such a way? Worst yet—why were the words affecting him so?

He'd not killed the young man for whom she mourned since waking just two days prior. He'd never even met the person in question. If they looked similar, that was far from his fault. That was coincidence. Except, Endymion was a disbeliever when it came to coincidences. Especially when so many occurred at once.

He was missing what was turning out to be a vital part of this strange little equation. Something that he doubted Beryl would willingly share with him or be very happy if he found out anything about on his own.

He impaled one more youma on his blade before admitting to himself that such activity was getting him nowhere. It wasn't even helping him dull his anger. It was only adding to it because of the ineptitude of the youma in terms of their defensive movements.

Wiping the viscous green liquid from his blade, Endymion grimaced at how it differed from the red that flowed through his veins. Through _her_ veins. He sheathed his sword in disgust before turning and finally taking notice of Kunzite's presence.

"You're sloppy," the shitennou commented flatly. "Had I been your opponent, you would not be standing with moves such as the ones I saw."

"Have you come simply to berate me or perhaps bemoan the absence of Zoicite more? Either way, I don't have the time," Endymion countered coldly.

His words were unnecessarily vicious and he knowingly risked Kunzite's wrath by speaking them. He found it hard to care in all truth. The young prince had his own blonde issues to concern himself with.

Kunzite's fist clenched at his side as his controlled the urge to lay the arrogant brat before him out. Striking Endymion would only serve to incur the queen's wrath which meant certain death.

"The queen demands our presence," Kunzite stated instead.

Endymion quirked a suspicious brow. "Then why were we not summoned as usual?"

Kunzite's bitter chuckled filled the space. "She decided that her little lap dog should work off some of his more aggressive energy by terrorizing every youma in the kingdom. She felt that something was bothering you and decided to let you work out some of your issues," Kunzite remarked. "I don't think she expected you to actually be killing off youma. She won't be pleased with that."

"Is that all?" Endymion questioned. He found it hard to care about anything that made Beryl happy.

Kunzite shook his head, his silver mane crossing over his shoulders to rest against the front of his uniform. "No. There is one more thing—Hurry up."

In a short burst of dark energy, Kunzite teleported from the room, revealing a red and blue youma standing behind him. Her eyes focused accusingly on him, and Endymion shuddered unconsciously at the haunting silver color that matched the high ponytail she wore.

He eyed her curiously, taking a small step forward in order to appease the desire for a closer look at her. He watched her stiffen as he drew near before running off.

Without thinking, he gave chase but was soon forced to admit that she was too fast for even his top speed. He could feel his heart beating madly in his chest and laughed breathlessly. For the first time since awakening in the Dark Kingdom, Endymion felt exhilarated. Alive.

His earlier anger dissipated as he allowed his laughter to fill the space around him for the brief moment before he teleported to Beryl's throne room.

The youma however never stopped running. Stamina built up over years allowed her to run until she finally reached a dead end located in the iciest section of the Dark Kingdom so far.

She groaned, wrapping her red arms around herself to hold off the shivering and hold in her warmth.

"Wonderful," she muttered. "He's going to find me and destroy me like those other youma."

She took a shuddering breath and fell to her knees, her appearance shifting. Gone was the youma in a skin tight red and blue full body suit, and in its place was Sailor Moon in her skimpy fuku, gloves, and red boots.

Her mind raced, a mélange of images forming from memories of her time with Nephrite. From one of the last few battles during which she'd tried to destroy a human who'd unwillingly been transformed into a youma. To the one after Mamoru's loss during which she destroyed Zoicite in a rush of unrestrained power and rage.

She had felt like a monster at those points, but never had she seen such cruelty as when she watched Endymion kill the youma as mercilessly as he did. What if they'd been humans who needed her to heal them? Killed simply because they appeared to be youma.

She forced herself to focus instead of letting her fears overwhelm her. It was then that she noticed something odd—her hair. Strands of it should have been resting on the floor piled up where it had sat against the wall. Instead, it passed through the surface next to her. Quickly, she yanked the locks back to her and saw that she'd also dragged in a pile of snow.

"No way," she murmured looking at the wall in wonder.

Either there was a _very_ cruel deity playing jokes on her, or Sailor Moon had managed to find herself a possible exit. She pressed a gloved hand to the wall before watching as it passed through the rocky appearance and into cold that bit into her skin despite the glove.

"So possible death by freezing or definite death by gutting…" she mused before deciding the cold was the better option.

Without so much as a backwards glance, the young heroine stepped out of the Dark Kingdom and into the icy cold blackness of the North Pole.

* * *

Rei and Luna felt a tug at the back of their minds as Ami's minicomputer beeped shrilly.

The four senshi gathered in Rei's room looked at each other feeling one part of the massive weight on their shoulders lighten.

"Usagi's alive!" Rei exclaimed. Looking to Ami for confirmation.

The girl had spent every waking moment waiting for some sign on her screen that their missing leader was still alive. It had made Rei feel guilty for not being able to keep her promise of making sure Ami got plenty of rest while Dr. Mizuno was out of town for a conference, but behind Ami's quiet exterior was a will of steel.

"Can you locate her, Ami-chan?" Minako asked, her voice just barely a whisper. The first sign of hope which no one wanted to risk losing was dangling before them.

The genius nodded slowly. "I'm trying," she said, her long graceful fingers dancing over the keypad as she worked to triangulate Sailor Moon's location.

Luna watched unblinking over Ami's shoulder, her body growing colder ever so slowly. A slowly building headache was quickly becoming a nuisance.

"The North Pole," the feline muttered softly.

"How could she have ended up there?" Makoto asked.

"There has been a large accumulation of Dark Energy in various spots around the globe. Minako and I traveled dealing with a few of them, but I never thought much of the one in the North Pole," Artemis explained.

"By ignoring it, we may have been overlooking the entrance to the Dark Kingdom," Minako stated, suddenly feeling like a failure in terms of her duty. "It seemed like the least likely place because the youma I faced early on seemed more acclimated to the weather of the areas. They sure dressed like it."

Ami shook her head. "This location would have been easy to over look when I compare its readings to those of England, North America, and Morocco."

Minako's frown deepened. "Where bases had already been established," she recalled, thinking back to how she'd dragged herself across the globe locating the Dark Kingdom's strongholds.

She'd fallen in love with Morocco and the beauty of the culture. She wanted to go back on day if her duty allowed.

The blonde was pulled from her reverie at the sound of Ami exclaiming in horror and outrage, "No!" She trembled as she typed furiously before dropping her minicomputer. "Sailor Moon… She just disappeared from my sensors… I—I can't tell—"

Luna released a pained yowl as Rei suddenly doubled over, clutching at the sides of her head.

"No…" she whimpered softly. "Usagi-chan… hold on. Please. Don't give up…"

"Artemis, what's happening?" Minako addressed the cat, channeling all of the authority she had in the Silver Millennium. She didn't want to risk him losing it due to a lack of emotional control in this sort of a crisis.

"The princess," he said. "She must have tapped into the telepathic connection you all had in the Silver Millenium. Luna and Rei are the most sensitive."

Well, Rei was. Luna's must have been forged over the time which she'd served as Usagi's guardian over the past few months. He never thought it could cause such pain as what he was witnessing in the eyes of the two females.

Minako jumped back as Rei erupted in a brilliant scarlet glow. The heat emanating from her frame was intense but ceased quickly as she exhaled shakily. The red aura faded, and Rei's head fell to the side, the young priestess panting raggedly.

"Endymion… She… She found him," Rei told them. "She's… She's running… She's so cold…" She sobbed softly curling in on herself. "She's freezing to death… I did what I could."

Minako gently rubbed her second's back gently, hoping that she was wrong.

"I've determined a rough approximation of where Usagi's signature faded," Ami said, trying to hold onto hope for their friend. "I've got it within a diameter of about ten miles. Unless we get another energy spike, that's as close as I can get, I'm afraid."

Minako nodded. "It's better than what we'd have otherwise. Everyone, once Rei is strong enough, henshin and get ready to teleport. We're going to find the princess."

Ami and Makoto nodded solemnly, their wands at the ready.

"Artemis, take care of Luna. If she's not out of it by the time we teleport, tell her where—"

The white feline shook his head. "I'm going with you."

"To do what? Freeze to death while Luna worries herself sick. No. You're staying here. You'll be of no good to us in the Dark Kingdom," Minako stated. "I know you're worried about Usagi-chan as well, but you've got to think."

Artemis closed his eyes, hanging his head as his charge's words sunk in. She was right. He wasn't thinking clearly. This was the time in which Venus was needed to lead, and he could see that she was stepping into her role once more. He'd have been proud if he wasn't so worried.

"Rei-chan, are you going to be up to a trip to the North soon?" Minako questioned.

"I'll—I'll be fine," she hiccoughed softly. "I just need a few minutes. The connection… It's fading. I'll be better soon."

Minako eyed Rei worriedly before nodding. She didn't comment on the fact that the connection that had flared to life was fading. Definitely not a good sign, but since Rei had said that Usagi was running from Endymion, that could go in various directions. The senshi of Venus had to hope for the best at this point. She'd break down in an instant if she didn't.

* * *

A progress report? That was what Beryl had summoned them for. Of all the insipid reasons. Just wanted to reassure herself that they were at her beck and call. Damned witch.

Endymion felt his ire rise once more as he stalked the corridors going to his room. He wanted to speak to Usagi about returning her to her home once she was healed. He wanted to think about making her happy in his refusal to think about the words she'd spoken earlier. He just hoped that she'd thought them over herself and felt some hint of regret.

With a long sigh, Endymion stepped into his chambers and was welcomed by an empty room. The door to the bathing room was open, revealing an empty room as well

"Usagi," he called softly. If she was here, then where? Surely, she wouldn't have run. It was dangerous. She certainly realized that, didn't she? She wasn't the type to willingly go looking for death. She seemed broken, not suicidal.

But what if… Had she been discovered? Could that have been the real reason behind Beryl's summons? To send a youma to inspect his chambers?

Kunzite's words came flooding back to him. Something bothering him. Had he truly been so "sloppy?"

Then, he recalled the youma. The red and blue one who'd sped away from him. Had she found the girl he'd thought hidden away? Had that been the reason behind her dashing away?

Suddenly, he felt an intense tug at his chest. Someone was summoning him, but this time it was different. Far more insistent. He'd been discovered.

Biting back the pang of worry for the blonde, he teleported once more to Beryl's throne room. He expected to be punished, if not executed, immediately upon arrival. Instead, he found an empty room and a developing headache.

If it wasn't Beryl summoning him so persistently, then who? He looked down at his hands as an idea formed in his mind. He'd poured himself into the blonde in his attempt to keep her alive. What if—

"Damnit!" he swore letting the summons guide his teleportation.

Endymion found himself standing at the portal separating the Dark Kingdom from Earth and shivered. The summons was quickly growing weaker and he knew he was heading in the right direction. The feeling of ice forming in his veins was intensifying.

He was right. He'd forged a bond with the girl. She was unconsciously beckoning him through a bond of his own creation. He'd never bothered healing anyone other than himself and he was quickly learning the side effects of doing so.

He stepped through the portal, shivering almost immediately as a frigid wind slammed into him. His fear spiked as he realized that he had no idea how long she'd been exposed to these conditions. Especially worrisome was the fact that he remembered just how little she'd been wearing when he'd left her in his room.

He took off, letting her fading summons guide him as he used his powers to augment his own speed.

It was moments before he found her, the blonde shining vividly in the imposing dark. "Oh, Usagi…" he murmured.

Carefully, he gathered her up in his arms, his heart stopping in his chest as he felt but didn't see how slowly she was breathing.

"Hold on," he whispered as he teleported them into the bathing chambers adjoining his room. He called up every bit of will power he had to keep from dropping her when he saw just how badly she'd been affected.

Her porcelain skin was a light shade of blue and puffy. One look at her hands revealed how frostbite was setting into her extremities. He had to warm her up, but found the knowledge escaping him like a word on the tip of his tongue.

Slowly, with a delicate tenderness he'd never expected of himself, Endymion gently eased Usagi into the enchanted water, making sure to keep her arms and legs elevated, knowing that he should at least get her vital organs warmed up before worrying too much about her hands. He'd focus on healing the damage once she was breathing regularly again.

The water warmed, its magic weaving its way into the young girl's body to heat her both internally and externally. The blue of her skin faded slowly, and he soon saw her chest rising in a more rhythmic pattern. He took that as a good sign and saw that he definitely had some work to do on her extremities. He just hoped he had enough energy to do what was needed.

As her fingers and toes returned to their natural appearance, Endymion felt the urge to pass out slam into him. He closed his eyes for a moment before deciding that he might want to remove her from the water. On trembling legs, he stood and focused his remaining energy into movement. He was definitely going to have to talk to her about why she insisted on getting herself into these situations. He was going to have to go into hibernation like some bear at the rate healing her drained him.

He hefted her slight weight out of the water and hauled her over to his bed. She was still soaked, but his major concern was just getting her down before he dropped her onto the ground. He stumbled over to the chair and grabbed the blanket sitting in it. Before he could make it to the bed once more, however, he collapsed, his energy depletion finally stopping him.


	11. Burden of Sacrifice

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15 (Rating may change in the next few chapters)  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects. (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 11 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A

Author's note: It feels like forever since I updated this one. A bit more action in this chapter. Still working on the ending and trying to figure out which song to use for the last one as it'll affect the last chapter just a bit. Have a tentative preview for those who want to be spoiled a little bit. Just let me know. Teehee!

* * *

Sometimes I wonder why I'm here at all  
A thousand faces yet I'm feeling so alone  
Your whispers calling me you speak my name  
How can I save you when I couldn't save myself

-"Burden of Sacrifice" by Full Blown Rose

* * *

There was laughter dancing on the air as Endymion found himself lost in a forest. He knew the sound, though he couldn't place from where. The sounds of rapid foot falls drew near, and he moved to hide behind the nearest tree as he realized that there was someone heading towards him.

"You'll have to catch me first, Endy-sama!" he heard a musical sounding voice call from nearby. The prince almost smirked at the affectionate form of his name. It was so like Usagi's but different. The voice was happy. Full of life and exuberance. The way Usagi's should sound instead of the morose tones that colored her speech.

The footfalls stopped as a surprised squeal erupted from just beyond where Endymion stood.

"Got you," he heard a man whisper, drawing yet more laughter from the woman. "I thought you were through stealing the roses from my gardens. You know I'd gladly give them to you, along with anything else you may ever ask for."

"I know, but then, why would you chase me?" she retorted before no more words reached Endymion's ears. Moments later, the sound of soft moans and quiet rustling filled the air instead, only growing in frequency and volume.

The prince blushed as he realized what was happening and wished that he could have been anywhere else. He didn't particularly want to listen as the woman he'd been caring for made love with a man he didn't know. His silent wish was shortly granted as the scene changed around him.

Explosions rang out. Pieces of marble columns fell all around him as the building he was in crumbled beneath the force of the fiery blasts. Pure white stone threatened to crush him beneath its weight as he ran.

Where was he running to though? That was the one thing young Endymion couldn't figure out. He'd been running for so long, chasing the elusive girl who haunted him. Long silver blonde hair trailed behind her. The sound of rustling which echoed in the halls almost drowned out the sound of her swift footfalls. Almost.

He stopped at a junction, listening for the young woman as she unknowingly led him. He considered the idea and had to wonder if her guidance was unintentional.

A shrill cry—_her_ cry—rang out. He ran to the left, following the sound of her exclamation. Every instinct cried out that she was in danger before he heard the noise, and now, he was sure of what he was feeling.

"Usagi…" he whispered as he dashed forward, racing unnoticed by youma and humans alike. "Where are you?"

"Endymion!" he heard her scream from nearby. The sound was one of anguish, of the horrors that came before a merciless death. A death he wasn't going to allow to take place.

_Hold on,_ he thought as he raced through rubble that threatened to make him stumble. As he reached the peak of the incline he raced up, he spotted her. Her long hair pooled on the ground around her, silver in the light of the blue orb in the sky.

"Blue?" Endymion murmured to himself. "Earth? Then that means…"

He turned his eyes back to the girl he'd chased through the building.

"I'm sorry…" she sobbed aloud, though he _knew_ that he was the only one who could hear her. "I'm sorry, Endymion…"

He took a quick step forward as he saw her delicate hand reaching towards the fallen sword nearby. The prince looked down for an instant and had a feeling that the sword was his own. The hilt was one he would recognize anywhere. He'd wielded it for as long as he could remember.

"No!" he shouted as he returned his eyes to the scene only to see the woman before him impale herself on the very sword he was holding. The bloody point of the blade protruded from her back, a river of blood flowing from the exit wound. Her pristine ivory gown was dyed a macabre scarlet as the liquid soaked into the fabric, leaving Endymion feeling like he was going to be sick. Slowly, she fell forward, her body stopping as the hilt of the blade hit the ground, forcing her to fall to the side.

Before his mind could register his movements, Endymion was racing over to her, and the fallen body, the head of which rested in her lap as though he was lying asleep instead of dead, was dressed in disturbingly familiar armor. Endymion shook his head mentally as he refused to recognize it. He stopped as the face came into view. There was no more denying it.

She'd not been calling for him. Usagi had been calling for the man for whom she'd killed herself.

There was a wrenching at Endymion's gut, dragging him from his surroundings and into a different world. He looked around himself, recognizing Tokyo. He looked down to see that he was still dressed in the armor he'd seen the other version of himself wearing.

"No," he murmured, willing the clothes to shimmer and change. Black jeans and sweater. A little more inconspicuous, if anyone noticed him.

He shivered lightly as a figure walked past—no, _through_ him. He was incorporeal. Was that why no one had seen him before? Why Usagi hadn't heard him calling to her? He'd been there, but not.

"With a 30%, though, there's no way I can ask for something… And I already used my month's allowance…" She sighed and crumpled up her test paper only to toss it behind her with the quiet, defeated declaration of, "I'm going home."

"Oi, Odango Atama, that hurt!" he heard his voice call out as he watched his twin get hit with the paper. Endymion cocked his head to the side, wondering silently if this was the Mamoru she'd loved. Their relationship certainly didn't seem loving.

"A thirty? I think you should go study, Odango Atama," he commented, tossing the paper back at the blonde.

"Mind your own freakin' business," Usagi muttered softly to herself. "Baka."

Endymion watched as the two parted ways only to fade away, this time leaving the young prince not just wondering what was taking place, but angry that the knowledge he felt he was missing was leaving him at a complete loss. He was in the dark as to the connection of the two visions he'd seen, but knew that the answer lay just beneath the surface of his thoughts.

"Beryl is keeping something from me, but what—" Endymion started only to hear his own voice interrupt him.

"What happened to you?" asked the doppelganger.

The voice was distant, as was the laugh that answered it.

He followed his ears, letting his sense of hearing guide him towards his goal.

"I accepted the role of Sailor Moon. I let a cat give me the one thing that would change my life, and made the worst mistake of my life…"

Endymion stopped when he heard those words. Usagi was Sailor Moon? She couldn't be. She'd tried to save him. Sailor Moon wouldn't try to save an enemy. But she'd thought he was the young man she'd argued with. She thought he was Mamoru. If she'd protected him because of that, then…

Then he'd unintentionally been committing treason by aiding the enemy. By keeping her alive and hidden instead of presenting her head to Beryl, he'd been committing the most heinous act possible in the Dark Kingdom, short of an assassination attempt on the queen herself.

He wasn't truly sure if that was worse though, as he thought back to the past few… days? Had truly only a few days passed since he'd brought her to the Dark Kingdom? He'd been housing the enemy for such a short time. Was that why he felt no true remorse for his actions? For the way he couldn't regret healing her.

His twin was speaking again. The prince didn't care about his words though. Just hers. He had to get closer. To affirm that what he'd just heard was correct. That the petite blonde was truly the enemy he was to offer up to Beryl.

"Because when the time came. I couldn't save one life…" she'd said as he moved into a position where he could see her delicate features. There were tears reflecting the light of the moon running down her pale face. She looked almost sick as she cried, the pallor of her face so drastic to that which Endymion had grown accustomed.

He took a step forward as Mamoru wrapped his arms around the blonde. She sobbed against him, leaving a surge of jealousy ripping through Endymion's body.

"He died, Mamoru-san. I finally did what they kept telling me, and a little boy died," she explained brokenly. "Why couldn't it have been me… The others can save the world without me. The others could have saved that little boy."

Endymion recalled the way she'd said she'd seen too much death. That she'd seen the death of a child and then someone's dying for her. This must have been just after the child's death, but what of Mamoru? When had he died—

There was a change once more. A scene of Nephrite's mansion. Screams wailed from within the stone walls. Agonized cries of suffering and anguish. Usagi's cries.

"Endymion!" she screamed, echoing the version of herself that the prince had seen in his first vision. She couldn't be…

He raced forward, hoping to pass through the walls just as she'd passed through him earlier, but this time, something kept him back. Instead, a brilliant white explosion of pure energy erupted, sending Endymion flying back. There was a sound of a man's shout, Nephrite he guessed, and then silence.

There was a branch breaking just behind Endymion. He turned around to see his twin's face once more before he walked through him and towards the building. As he watched the young man walk, he realized one thing—He was wearing the same armor.

"_Mamoru-kun?" _he recalled her mistaking him, except he seemed to have been mistaken. Were he and the boy one and the same? Was this what Beryl had been hiding from him?

With hurried steps, Endymion followed Mamoru into the room, the barrier gone. He stopped as Mamoru knelt down beside Usagi and gently touched her cheek. He watched the twin's shoulders relax ever so slightly as her silvery eyes opened to look up at the doppelganger.

"Endymion, you're all right," she murmured.

"It's true…" Endymion muttered. "But why can't I remember?" He clenched his fists at his side, knowing that if he went to Beryl with this information, questioning her, she'd likely do something to make sure he never questioned the visions again. But worse than that, she'd figure out that there was something behind his sudden curiosity, and Usagi would be in danger.

He had to get her out of the Dark Kingdom, but how? With Beryl most likely monitoring his every teleportation given the way things were going not to mention the way she was demanding progress, getting Usagi out that way wasn't going to work. He could lie and say that he had discovered something on Earth, but how would he explain the fluctuation in the amount of energy he used. Even more, why would he return to Beryl? She'd most likely send Kunzite after him, and once more, Usagi would be in danger.

It all led back to that. It wouldn't help matters that Usagi was Sailor Moon.

He'd seen the way in which Kunzite had left her after their last battle. Broken and bloodied. The vengeful general would not allow the blonde to live a second time after the death of Zoicite.

"Help me," he heard her cry out softly from beyond the darkness that encompassed him. "Endymion-sama… Please… Help me."

This wasn't the voices that emerged from her in the visions. The voice was fainter. Terrified. Choked on the emotion that was overwhelming her. But why?

"Usagi…" he murmured before an intense pain rushed through him, originating just below his ribs.

"Traitorous bastard," he heard a voice snarl.

Kunzite. They'd been discovered.

"The queen wasn't enough for you? You had to enlist the services of a human girl?" he continued before snorting mockingly. "Given your history though, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. The queen will not forgive you for this sort of dalliance, Endymion."

Endymion forced his eyes open, fighting sleep's sticky solution that attempted to keep him in the dark. He saw as Kunzite held Usagi off of the ground by her throat, her small frame looking beaten and tired.

He saw a soft glow encompass the remaining king's fist as he prepared a killing blow for one, though Endymion wasn't sure which would fall to it.

"Release her, Kunzite," Endymion commanded as he slowly rose to his feet. His ribs screamed in pain as every movement reminded him of the abuse the angered warrior rained upon him before he fully woke. "She's innocent in all of this."

"But she's proof that you are not, and that is all I need to be rid of you," Kunzite laughed. "Beryl will be shown that only those for whom she doesn't mourn are the loyal ones. The ones who truly deserve power when the Earth is overtaken and the senshi destroyed. Perhaps then, she'll use Metallia's power to bring him back."

"Beryl won't bring Zoicite back. He was a distraction for you, and I doubt she'll abide by you having one if you tell her that I'd found one," Endymion taunted, hoping to draw the energy that Kunzite was channeling towards himself.

"I'll be awarded with anything—"

"You'll be punished for ruining the queen's illusions," Endymion countered, unsure of where his words were coming from. His mouth was running on autopilot while he tried to figure out how to free Usagi from his rival's grasp. That was when it hit him. Their rivalry. "Just as Zoicite was going to be had he returned instead of being destroyed by Sailor Moon. And she was going to have me be the one to do it."

Endymion internally winced as he saw Usagi go flying from Kunzite's grasp as the final heavenly king moved to draw his sword. He infused the blade with his own energy before lunging at the dark prince.

Despite the remaining fatigue, Endymion managed to block the oncoming attack, which was aimed rather blatantly for his neck. He even managed to knock the enraged man back a few feet. Perhaps the words hadn't been wise, as now, Kunzite was out to kill. The mention of being chosen to destroy Zoicite had been enough to break the last bit of thread connecting the silver haired man to the already bare spool that was his sanity.

"Endymion-sama, watch out!" Usagi croaked as a bolt of energy ripped towards the prince.

He lunged to the side hearing the sound of the blast strike the ground as he shielded himself with his cape.

"Run, Usagi-chan!" he shouted, unintentionally shocking her with the use of the attachment. It had slipped without his consent, from the visions he'd been ripped from witnessing.

"Mamo-chan?" she whispered before slipping her hand into her pocket. He saw a small glimmer of hope enter her frightened gaze as her hand disappeared for an instant before reappearing holding a small trinket in its grasp. Her gaze hardened as she turned her eyes to their now mutual enemy.

"Oi, Kunzite!" she forced out, despite the pained sound of her voice. "You want revenge for Zoicite? Take it, if you can."

"No," Endymion muttered softly as she lifted her hand into the air and forced out a hauntingly familiar phrase.

"Moon prism power, make up!"

In a brilliant explosion of light, Usagi was transformed into the warrior he'd seen Kunzite almost kill in his earlier bouts of blind rage.

In her hand was a delicate looking crystalline crescent moon wand, with the ginzuishou placed firmly in its intended setting. Before she had a chance to even unleash any sort of attack, Kunzite fired off a burst of raw power at the delicate looking blonde.

She cried out as she was forced back a few steps. That was when Endymion noticed the soft flicker coming from the ginzuishou. The flicker quickly grew in intensity and a brilliant light encompassed Sailor Moon's petite form. As he watched her, Endymion felt an intense burn in the center of his brow. He had to escape, but he didn't dare leave her there.

"That's enough, Usagi-chan!" he shouted, hoping to break her concentration.

The call did its trick, and the power faltered. Both he and Kunzite were left panting at the intensity of which the dark energy within them rebelled against the light the crystal had emitted.

"You made a mistake in stopping her, Endymion… I'll destroy you both for that," Kunzite promised before turning towards the stronger looking of the two: Sailor Moon.

Kunzite slowly made his way over to the silver haired girl, raising his sword with the intention of quickly striking a killing blow.

"Sarabada, Sailor Moon," he snarled as he watched her cower before him, the use of the crystal having sapped most of her energy reserves. The look in his eyes of pure, venomous hatred only served to freeze her to her spot as she stood. She was going to die, she was sure.

She smiled, nevertheless, knowing that in the end, she'd gotten one last glimpse of her Mamo-chan.

He roared at the appearance of her smile and lunged.

Much to Sailor Moon 's surprise, the strike never hit.

"Iie, Kunzite," Endymion said as he moved between the two, his sword firmly implanted in Kunzite's midsection. "It is not time for her farewell, but yours."

"Bastard," Kunzite cursed at the prince before Endymion ended his life with one last burst of dark energy.

"Sarabada, Kunzite," Endymion spat before letting the man's body fall to the ground, lifeless.

He turned to look at Usagi who was looking up at him with wide eyes that were both fearful and relieved.

"Mamo-chan?" she whispered once more, leaving a soft wrenching in Endymion's chest.

He shook his head, a small frown marring his tired features. "Not yet," he said softly. "I don't know if I can be him again. Not after all that has happened."

"You can be," Usagi replied, her henshin fading. "I know you can. You protected me. Just as you always did before you were captured."

"I all but killed you before. You killed yourself because I died. How is that protecting you? How is that doing my duty unto you?"

Usagi shook her head. "Because you made me stronger in this life. I have survived because of you. Because of Mamo-chan and Endymion-sama."

"I'm not the Endymion you remember. I'm the monster which Beryl recreated in this life to serve her. The one who is sent out to destroy you and your friends."

Usagi reached up with a shaking hand to gently caress his face. "We're both monsters in this life, Endymion. You were sent out to kill, while I've done nothing but," she said, a trembling entering her voice. "I'd never seen you kill before this day. Only protect. Youma have been falling at my hand for months now."

Endymion shook his head. "Destroying youma does not make you a monster. They're mindless creatures created for the whims of their masters. Nothing more."

"But—" she started before being silenced by a finger placed against her lips.

"Trust me," he whispered before slowly lowering his head to hers. Just as their lips were about to meet, Endymion cried out and clutched at his head.


	12. Don't Leave Me Behind

Title: For You I'll Die  
Author: Maetel  
URL: N/A  
Rating: M 15 (Rating may change in the next few chapters)  
Summary: Begins weeks after the ending of Sanctuary. When Mamoru's been captured, the senshi are left to fend for themselves against their enemies. What happens when Usagi does something that no one expects. (I'm working on the summary :p)  
Chapters: 12 of ?  
Status: Incomplete  
Year Completed: N/A

Author's note: This chapter was partially written while well rested, while the rest was after an eight hour shift and then with a Chihuahua resting in my arms. Hopefully, there's not much difference. Two more chapters left, and yes, I am still offering up spoilers to whoever wants to see them. I am also holding a vote—Which song will be the last one in the series? Die For You by Megan McCauley or Sleep Well My Angel by We are the Fallen. Both fit what I have in mind.

* * *

So afraid of dreaming  
The story is repeating  
Screaming, Monsters and Bleeding  
I'm losing light in myself  
Come back into me  
Cause only you can save me

"_Don't Leave Me Behind_" by We are the Fallen

* * *

"_She's summoning me," Endymion told her. "She might know something has happened."_

"_You can't go to her," Usagi told him as her henshin faded. If anyone was on alert, the blonde had a feeling that her powers would only be detected all the more quickly. "If she—" _

"_She might. There lies our advantage. Kunzite might not have told her anything, at least that's what I picked up from him when he was here. He might have been blinded by his hatred. Zoicite's death unraveled him," he'd explained. "If he hadn't the opportunity—"_

"_She might have recognized the power of the ginzuishou," Usagi blurted. "Her or Metallia. They may know I'm here." _

"_And they may think the senshi are launching an all out attack," Endymion countered. "She may be summoning me to try to stop them." _

_Usagi shook her head. "What happens when she questions his absence?" she asked, incapable of bringing herself to speak the name of the fourth and final heavenly king. _

"_I'll lie," Endymion finally said, grimacing as another surge of pain ripped through his skull at Beryl's summons. "But I have to go. Don't leave this room until you hear from me. If anyone enters, hide. If you must, fight, but only if you must."_

That had been almost an hour before. Usagi had waited as patiently as she could, but her fear for Endymion's life was gnawing at the back of her mind, urging her to go to him.

She looked down at the brooch in her hand, considering the idea of repeating her earlier actions. She could hide herself well enough to pass for a youma using the Luna pen, but what would happen if Endymion returned and found her gone? He'd worry and give away all that had transpired.

A whisper of energy erupted behind Usagi as Endymion teleported behind her.

"We need to get out of here," he told her, placing gentle hands on either of her shoulders. "Beryl knows you're here."

Usagi tried to turn but found herself trapped by his hold. There was something he hadn't said. He wasn't letting her look at him. She knew it wasn't because Beryl's control had been reasserted. She doubted his hands would touch her so carefully if he were fully Endymion. No, Mamoru was finally in control.

"Kunzite told her of his suspicions?" she whispered.

"No," he replied softly. "Your senshi came here to rescue you. They were captured, and now, youma are looking for you."

Usagi gasped, and this time she refused to not look at Mamoru. "We have to save them. They came here to rescue me. I can't let them stay in her dungeons, or whatever she's got, because luck wasn't on their side."

"They're not in the dungeons," he informed. "Beryl has them on display, anticipating your desire to rescue them. It wouldn't be safe. Everyone's on high alert. You need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Usagi pulled away from Mamoru so quickly that her arms felt bruised as they pulled from his grasp.

"I can't and won't leave them here, Mamo-chan," she stated adamantly. "They're my friends. My family. I'm not deserting them. No matter what you or anyone else says. I won't let them die."

The words made him flinch. There was something else. Usagi studied his expression closely. Her refusal to leave was hurting him, but there was something about her choice of words that made him all the more uncomfortable.

"Have they…"

Mamoru shook his head. "No. They're not dead yet. Beryl's planning on an execution to send a message to the youma. She's going to drain their energy until they're barely conscious. Then, she's going to kill them. She didn't tell me how, but she said it was going to happen tonight. If the youma don't discover you before hand, she's hoping that the senshi's deaths will."

"She's right," Usagi stated. "I can go to them without anyone noticing though. Well, without anyone noticing for a while Beryl might be more sensitive to the power of the crystal, but…"

"What are you—"

"The Luna pen. I can… You saw a youma earlier. Red and blue with silver hair?" Usagi said. "She ran when you were angry and destroying youma. You chased her."

Mamoru nodded, recalling the one she described. The only time as Endymion that he'd felt truly energized. Truly alive. "It was you. It changed your appearance… How?"

Usagi laughed softly. "I can turn into Sailor Moon or shift into princess garb with a thought, and you ask if I can—"

Mamoru couldn't help but see the ridiculousness in his own question. "Okay, but the drastic level of change."

Usagi lifted her hand to her brooch and looked behind herself towards the door, as though making sure no one was entering.

"Moon prism power, make up!" she whispered. She looked up and saw Mamoru's eyes flicker to the door as though to check if any youma had felt the surge of energy that was anything but dark. Before he could say anything though, she continued on to the next move in her transformation as she lifted the Luna pen into the air. "Moon power, youma ni nare!"

The sound of her soft exhale reached his air as a new rush of power washed over her fuku clad form. In an instant, in Sailor Moon's place stood the youma which Endymion had chased half through the Dark Kingdom. The one he'd thought had deposited Usagi outside when she'd made it to the portal.

He reached out and gently touched her hair. The only part of her that he could see. The red and blue attire covered her frame, if not tightly to the point of distraction, and an opaque mask hid the delicate features of her face. He wanted to see the azure eyes behind the mask to reassure himself that the youma in front of him was indeed Usagi.

"I never thought… I thought the youma I saw had found you. Never would have considered the idea of her _being_ you," he stated, feeling the silky strands against the fingers of his hand. "No wonder I felt so different when chasing you."

Usagi was glad for the mask, since she knew that she was blushing beneath the surface. She was fortunate that the magic that fueled the disguise gave her a mask that only she could see through.

"We should probably go find the senshi… They're going to need their energy if we're all going to get out of here," she said softly.

Mamoru nodded silently, taking her hand for only moments long enough to give it a slight squeeze. Silently, he allowed her hand to fall from his as he led her from his quarters, hoping that no one would notice their movements. He looked behind him every few seconds to see if she was still behind him. He could sense her growing dread and burgeoning sickness. The idea of her senshi having been captured was already beginning to wreak havoc on the girl.

Through various caverns they stalked, Mamoru stopping them whenever a youma was getting too close. He could feel them though. The four distinct energy signals that beckoned to him in battle. The ones that had drawn him like a moth to a flame twice, once to taunt, and the next that resulted in his joining with the petite blonde rabbit.

"How much farther is it?" she asked as she stepped up close behind him. She could feel the warmth of his body and shivered lightly as she realized just how cold she really was. Her magic was strong enough to keep her disguised, but she was still human. She was still too sensitive to the elements around her.

Mamoru closed his eyes and allowed his senses to flood ahead of them. "Three more caverns then up the staircase. They're almost directly above us. They're on display for the entirety of the Dark Kingdom."

Usagi thought over his words and swallowed hard. On display in such a hellish place. She needed to rescue them, quickly.

"Before we go to them, I want you to promise me something, Usako," he said, refusing to look at her. He hadn't wanted to consider what he was about to say. "If it proves to be too dangerous here, then I want you to run. Go back to Tokyo. Go into hiding and take Luna with you. Have her train you in how to control the ginzuishou's power. So that your story won't end the same way Queen Selenity's did. No matter what happens to the senshi. No matter what happens to me, just promise me you'll do as I say."

Usagi felt her heart stutter at the use of his pet name for her. She could tell that he wasn't planning on leaving the Dark Kingdom alive, even if he could make sure that she would.

"Promise me, Usako," he ordered her softly.

Wordlessly, she nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his upper arm. She couldn't speak. She knew her voice would crack if she did so.

"Let's go," he whispered softly, before leading her through the first of the three caverns. The temperature had gone from bone chilling to sweltering.

"Come join us," Usagi heard a youma call out to them.

A bathing chamber, she realized. He could have chosen to give her that sort of information before leading her into the room. _Just don't pay any attention. Just be a minion being led around by Endymion. _

Despite the way she silently coached herself, Usagi couldn't help but notice the glances she and Mamoru were getting as they walked. More and more youma became visible.

"Endymion-sama!" crooned one youma, a golden skinned creature with long red hair that shone like a brilliant flame. "Come join us in our preparation for Beryl's celebration. We'd be honored by your presence, Endymion-sama. We'd even welcome your silver haired concubine."

Usagi froze at the words. She looked like a concubine? Not a companion. Not a lackey. A concubine.

"I'd prefer you not to speak of my associate in such a manner, youma Infurruno," Endymion stated bluntly. "Whether she is my personal concubine or my personal aide is not of your concern. You would do well to remember that."

The golden youma sunk back into the water, pouting at the fact that she'd just been spoken to in such a manner by Beryl's personal boy toy. The titian queen got to have all the fun, and the men. Lucky bitch. Infurruno would be willing to bet three humans that he was yummy. She'd just have to be patient and take a shot at his little toy later. Even residuals were better than nothing.

As she was guided through the cavern, Usagi clung close to Mamoru's back, without allowing herself physical contact. Such a thing would probably be deemed improper. She shuddered in relief as they stepped into the next cavern.

"You could have warned me that we were going to have to go through a bathing chamber," she hissed anxiously. That was—"

"Not a bathing chamber. Bathing chambers are only allowed for those in high enough ranks for Beryl to deem them worthy," he informed her. "Youma have various ways of preparing for a celebration. Some of them are more human than one would believe."

Usagi tilted her head to the side, not quite comprehending.

"She called you a concubine for a reason," he continued. "To take another youma in there usually means that—"

By the time Usagi comprehended what she was being told, she could feel her entire body flush in embarrassment.

"I understand," she stated. "You mean that youma was… No, don't say it. That's something I don't want to think about."

Mamoru couldn't help the soft laugh that came from him. The part of him that was still Endymion could understand perfectly what was taking place. Hedonistic behavior was a luxury amongst the youma under Beryl's stern control. While he had never indulged, he could understand the drive.

"We should get going," Usagi suggested softly, moving to stand at Endymion's side so she could look him in the face. Suddenly, she missed being so small. She rather liked being able to look up into Mamoru's eyes. Being at eye level with anyone was a little off putting.

"This way—" Mamoru said before a field of red light engulfed the pair transporting them from the word. Inside the field, Mamoru grasped at Usagi as her disguise bled away leaving only the sailor fuku clad heroine of Tokyo.

She shrieked at the sudden rush of dark energy against her skin as it seemed to sear the delicate flesh. A burning coursed over her flesh, leaving her clinging painfully to Mamoru.

"Mamo-chan!" she exclaimed shrilly.

And as suddenly as the energy gathered around the pair, it dispersed, leaving the two on the floor before the reigning monarch of the Dark Kingdom, Beryl. She sat in a throne made of s skeletal looking stone lined with something akin to black velvet. Beside her was an orb which glowed a sickly shade of blue in the darkness of the room.

"Ah, Sailor Moon, how kind of you to finally come to see me," Beryl said, her tone snide, with more than a touch of anger. The ruler turned her eyes towards Endymion as he slowly tried to stand. "And how good of you to perform one last act for your queen, Endymion. Perhaps, I'll let you live as a puppet once the Dark Kingdom has spanned the entire Earth."

"Where are they Beryl?" Sailor Moon questioned, rising to her feet.

"Silence, little princess. You'll only speak when I allow it," Beryl snapped, waving a hand over the orb.

Sailor Moon felt what she thought to be fingers grasping at her throat, squeezing it. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak. Any more pressure on her throat and she had a feeling she wouldn't be living anymore either.

"Let her go, Beryl," Mamoru commanded.

"You dare to order me as though we were back in your miserable hell of a fallen kingdom? I don't think so, Endymion. In fact such impertinence must be punished." She chuckled darkly. "I think I'll allow you both one last look at the senshi before I kill them, and then I'll allow Endymion to watch as you are drained dry and your energy is given to Metallia-sama."

"No!" roared Mamoru before he was flung back by a gust of dark power.

"Ah, ah, ah, Prince. None of that," Breyl chided as Sailor Moon felt the invisible hold on her throat release. "In fact…"

Mamoru cried out in agony as Beryl pulled the remaining power given to him by Metallia from his body. His soul felt as though it were being shredded… Clawed to bits by a sort of chimera in search of prey. A seeming eternity passed before he fell forward into the waiting arms of Sailor Moon.

"Did you not think that I would notice your shift in loyalties? I had Kunzite monitoring your behavior, but he never reported anything such as your defection to the princess' side. A pity he will not be here himself to oversee the death of both of you. Such a brilliant sacrifice. A precious lamb to slaughter, just like the senshi."

There it was again. The cold brittle laughter as it clawed its way from deep within her chest.

"To the dungeons with both of you. You will be dealt with after the senshi. Enjoy your last few hours together, Selenity, for after your senshi die, so do you."

Before the blonde could croak out a response, another flare of energy engulfed them and teleported them away.


	13. Sacrifice

_I will sacrifice_  
_I will sacrifice_  
_All I have in life_  
_To clear my conscience_

Sacrifice by t.A.T.u

* * *

Time had turned torturous. With every second that passed, Usagi felt herself grow colder. The cold left her bones feeling frozen within her petite frame. There was a fragility that she knew was embracing her, merging with her, leaving her nothing more than a striking resemblance to a porcelain doll that she'd been attacked by just weeks before. With every ounce of cold that proved she wasn't going numb, Usagi felt her faith in escape dwindling.

She turned her eyes towards Mamoru, whose body was going through what she could only guess to be withdrawal from the loss of the dark energy which Beryl had stripped from him. It had started off so simply. Just a cold sweat broken out along his brow and the back of his neck. The room was so cold that neither had thought anything of it. Then, came the shivering that wracked his body leaving him unable to stand on his own legs due to its intensity. He'd wound up passing out beside her where they were curled up to try to conserve warmth what seemed like an eternity ago.

She wanted to help him. Wanted to ease the way his body was betraying him, but in the chambers Beryl had banished them to, she couldn't draw upon her powers. Even her henshin was lost to her. There would be no relief for either of them so long as Beryl was holding them prisoner.

Was this what her senshi had gone—were going through? Was this how they were being drained? By this brutal cold?

How long had they been trapped? It had felt like hours, the span of time lengthened by the extreme environment and her anxiety caused by Mamoru's worsening condition. She wanted to curl up in his arms. Have him assure her that everything would be all right. Have him tell her that they'd find a way to escape and free her friends. Have him tell her that everything that had happened since meeting Luna was just a nightmare…

Except, if it was a nightmare, he wouldn't be there to tell her anything. Instead, he'd be picking on her. He'd be making cracks about her hair and berating her for her lack of interest in school. They'd be back to where they had started with no real hope that things would ever be the same as they were now. She'd be in love with a dream, and he'd be breaking her heart over and over again.

"I'm scared, Mamo-chan," she whispered, doubting that he could hear her. Her hand reached out for his, clasping the clamming fingers tightly in her own. "I don't know what to do."

Though he didn't say anything, she could have sworn she felt his hand grip hers back in response. She clenched her eyes shut, willing some of her remaining strength into him, though she didn't feel it work.

"I'm sorry," the blonde sighed. "I don't know how to be anything but dependant. You and the others wouldn't be in the danger you're in if it wasn't for me. We'd all be normal people just living our lives if not for my lifelong bouts of weakness. If we get out of here, I promise, I'll be stronger. I'll make you proud of me, Mamo-chan. The girls will be proud to call me their princess and friend."

"They are," she heard him rasp, causing her to jump. "They're proud. They wouldn't stand by you if they weren't."

She opened azure eyes to gaze at the exhausted looking man beside her and felt tears scorch her as they made their way across her skin. Releasing his hand only to wrap her arms around his waist, Usagi clutched at her prince. She could still feel the vibrations coursing through his body as it struggled to recover from the loss of power Beryl had caused.

"They love you," he assured her. "It's love that keeps us with you. Even as Endymion, I was drawn to you."

Usagi looked at him, wondering if she'd misheard everything that he'd just said. He just stated that he… She would have felt ecstatic about such a declaration at one point, but now, all she felt was the breaking of her own heart and the determination to get everyone out of the Dark Kingdom growing.

"How much longer do you think we have before Beryl decides to let us out of here?" she questioned softly.

"She initially said hours, so soon, I think." Mamoru forced himself into a sitting position. "We have to get out of here before she decides to though. By then, it'll be too late."

Usagi nodded solemnly. "How do we get out though? I can't access my powers. I've tried to henshin, to use the crystal, and nothing has happened."

Mamoru thought over the information she'd just given him carefully. "I think I have an idea, but I can't guarantee that it will work. I just…"

Usagi watched him, waiting for the rest of his sentence before noticing the way his far hand was splayed out on the ground, his arm shaking above it. _Just as proud as he was in the Silver Millennium. _

With a careful application of her own meager strength, Usagi helped Mamoru to his feet, letting him lean on her. She watched as he formed three brilliantly shimmering red roses in his hand.

"Cover your eyes,Usako" he whispered into her ear, sending a lance of mingled pain and joy through to her heart.

She buried her head in his shoulder and shrieked at the sound of an explosion coming from nearby. She should have guessed when she felt his muscles shift as he launched the floral projectiles.

Almost immediately, Usagi felt an inundation of strength fill her petite frame. There'd been something about the room… Perhaps the sheer amount of darkness within it. Once the seal had been broken, she felt revived.

However, she noticed that the opposite seemed true for Mamoru as he sagged against her. He'd already been weakened, and she never considered how much energy it would take for him to break them out.

"Let's go," he said his voice barely more than a ragged breath.

Slowly, they made their way out of the ruptured room and allowed Mamoru's memories guide them, once he realized that they were on one of the lowest levels of the Dark Kingdom.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi started softly. "If you could do that…"

"Why didn't I earlier?" he finished for her. "What Beryl did left a sort of vacuum. I had to allow my own energy take the place of the power she stripped from me. That little light show depleted some of what I'd managed to gather, but I had to do it. We don't know how much time is left."

There it was again. The dependency Usagi had felt guilt for earlier. She'd been incapable of freeing them, so Mamoru… She was going to get them killed.

"How much farther until we're there?" the blonde asked after a long bout of silence.

She finally felt confident enough in her ability to hide the guilt and sadness in her voice beneath the fear that they may be captured once again. They'd gone up more uneven steps than she could count and Usagi was wondering how many more it would take for her legs to just fall off in spite of her.

"We should be getting close. It's strange navigating this place from the bottom up," he whispered. "It might be safer if you take up your disguise again, Usako. If we get spotted, you can say you captured me in an attempt to escape," Mamoru advised.

"What if they ask where—"

"I'll tell them that you used the crystal to transport yourself away once we were out of that chamber," he told her.

Usagi nodded. She pulled the Luna pen from her subspace pocket and clutched at it. She didn't dare henshin. The chances of someone detecting her were growing, and a light show like the one she created when becoming Sailor Moon was pushing their already fading luck.

She repeated the disguise phrase, the power shifting her clothes around her while the glamour changed her face's fearful, wan, appearance.

Mamoru reached out to gently brush a hand over her now purple toned cheek. The clothes she'd been wearing, which had been loose, now clung to her, serving as a contrast between its deep violet and the almost lavender coloring she now had. The only aspect truly unchanged was the silver sheen of her hair. Though it was now shortened, the way the locks glowed was still one of the most unearthly beautiful things he'd ever seen.

"Do I pass?" she asked nervously.

He answered her by brushing his lips lightly over her brow.

She smiled up at him softly before stopping him as he moved to walk once more.

"Wait, Mamo-chan," she whispered. "Just… Before we go any further, can I ask for one thing?"

He took in the nervous way she moved and sounded. He looked behind himself, checking for any possible youma heading in their direction.

"What's the matter, Usako?" he asked softly.

She shook her head and smiled up at him sadly. "In case… In case we get caught, I doubt we'll have this opportunity. I just… Will you kiss me?"

Mamoru looked at her strangely for just a moment before smiling and nodding. He took two steps closer to her, taking in just how much taller she was thanks to the disguise. He felt his shirt tighten against his back as she gripped its front in two tightly clenched fists.

As he lowered his head to hers, he noticed a soft glow emanating from not only her hair, but her entire being. He shivered at the purity of the light she emitted, but didn't notice the way it intensified. By the time his lips were a hair's width from hers, everything around him was white, and Usagi… She was gone.

The silver haired girl stumbled a bit at the amount of energy it took to teleport Mamoru from the Dark Kingdom. She knew that she most likely didn't stand a chance without him by her side, but she was tired of putting him in danger.

As they'd walked, she'd contemplated a way of making sure that he was safe, and banishing him from the Dark Kingdom had been the only means of doing so. She just wished that she'd had the opportunity to actually enjoy one last kiss from him, but she couldn't risk contact. Couldn't risk her own fear overwhelming her and teleporting away with him.

"Thank you, Mamo-chan," she sighed softly. "I promise, I'll make you proud of me."

Usagi turned when she heard foot falls coming from behind her and saw a shadow looming on the wall. Had they seen the light? Had they noticed her removing Mamoru from this fight in the only way she could?

"Some surprise. Beryl promised us all of the senshi and their princess, and she can't deliver," she heard a female sounding youma voice echo. "Though that was a beautiful sight. The senshi all hanging there like little dolls. This is a great day for the Dark Kingdom."

"If only Nephrite-dono had been here," came another, almost younger sounding voice. "He was truly loyal. That bastard Kunzite didn't even show up. Beryl allowed him too much freedom and that's what she got… A disrespectful humanoid who was more focused on his own empty sheets than his duty."

"I hear he and Endymion got into it in one of the training rooms," said the first.

The second cackled as Usagi dove into a nearby crevice, hoping that she blended in well enough not to notice. "I hope they killed each other. Miserable Earthling like that. Beryl's play toy. She dishonored us all by bringing him here to warm her bed."

"No, she dishonored herself. Once Metallia-sama is free, Beryl will be punished for her weakness," said the youma, a grey and pink one with a green vertical stripe over each eye, as it and its partner, a cat like creature with fiery fur, stalked by. "And the Dark Kingdom shall rise to greatness once more."

Usagi felt her fists tighten and her stomach turn at the conversation as she listened. She was too late… They'd been heading in the wrong direction in the end.

With rapid steps, Usagi raced in the direction from which the two youma had just come. She fought the urge to run, knowing that such action would only draw attention to herself.

"No… Please, don't be true," she whispered softly in prayer to any of the gods which may hear her. "Please, be alive."

She crossed the paths of two or three youma, but hid before most of them noticed her. She didn't care if she looked like them. They'd wonder why she hadn't been with them, and she didn't want to risk one of them figuring out she was lying.

Once she went what she felt was a good ten meters without running into a youma, she broke into a dash. She sped down the corridors until she found herself in the middle of a chamber that was almost empty and silent. Almost. Except for the sound of slow dripping against the floor in one of the most well lit portions of the chamber.

She took two hesitant steps forward as she tried to figure out what the sound. Her ears led her to a far corner of the room, where a puddle was growing on the floor. Her eyes drifted up to the source and saw each of her senshi strapped to crystalline Xs with bonds around each of their wrists, ankles, necks, and waists. She knew without touching it, that the crystal was the same as the kind that made the chair she'd been bound to when Nephrite had tortured her with images and sensations from each of her previous battles.

Where Nephrite had used the substance to torture, Beryl had used it to kill her friends. The shadows hid their broken, lifeless forms, and for that one luxury she was grateful.

"Ami-chan… Rei-chan… Mako-chan… Minako-chan… I'm sorry. I should have… I should have gotten here faster. I should have been braver… I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

There was no reaction from the found bound senshi, except for the dripping of blood from each of them.

"You missed it," came a masculine voice that struck the girl with a fear inducing sense of familiarity. "Beryl didn't want anyone to miss this, not even me. I wished she'd allowed me to though. Nephrite was a vicious sod, but… I never thought him capable of such a creation. This land of horrors truly corrupted him."

Usagi turned slowly to stare into the face of her first true enemy. Gray eyes once filled with hatred were now filled with sorrow as he looked above her at the fallen warriors. "I wondered if he ever considered that it would ever be used on her? If he even remembered her?"

"Jadeite?" she whispered softly.

Stone colored orbs stared at her with a cool sort of looked before a small smile formed on his face. "It was you, Serenity-sama. Beryl said that there were to be two more present at the execution… Where is Endymion-sama?"

"How did you—"

"One never forgets the taste of such power. In the past, you disguised yourself at times to come to Earth," Jadeite explained. "Mars showed me how to detect the power so that I could find you should you ever slip from the senshi's watchful eyes. Such a gift was lost when Beryl—no Metallia's power overwhelmed us."

Usagi walked up to him, but stopped herself from placing a hand on his arm. Something stopped her, though she couldn't figure out what. "You remember?"

The last of Endymion's shitennou nodded solemnly. "When Beryl trapped me in her crystal prison, she never anticipated it blocking my mind from Metallia's influence. As the power she granted me faded, my memories returned."

"How powerful is she?" Usagi asked, turning her eyes once more to her senshi.

"More so than I can even say," he stated. "She'd trapped me here until her destruction."

"What do you mean? Can't you teleport out?"

Jadeite turned to look towards the farthest corner of the room. There was a dark heap on the floor which Usagi could barely make out from the rest of the shadows.

"There was perhaps a time which I might have been able to, but… No… No longer," he sighed before looking down. "Should you see the prince once more, princess, tell him I can never truly expect his forgiveness for what I have done, but I am still sorry that I allowed myself to succumb to Beryl's manipulations."

Usagi nodded silently as he disappeared in a flash of light which left the room illuminated, revealing both the heap on the ground to be Jadeite's physical remains. They were skeletal and ancient, a sign of the way their powers had kept them alive. She turned her eyes once more to her senshi and felt the bile in her stomach rocket up her throat.

Mercury… No, Ami hung from her X encased in black ice, skin blistered and burned beneath the surface. On her face was an expression of pure agony, from what Usagi could tell. Her blue eyes were now crystalline orbs as though her body had tried to shift into its controlled element, only to stop in the initial stages.

Rei was scorched. Her miko robes were barely existent, and would have been improper if there were anything left of their wearer. Instead, short stumps of black hair rested on the ground beneath her dangling bones, charred.

Makoto was only moderately better. Her body was blistered and blackened, Her hair was sticking out wildly, frazzled and burnt. Her teeth were the only white left of her besides her clothing which was frayed and a mass of holes, with hints of white showing from the patches of brown and black.

And Minako. Once a beacon of beauty was now a mockery of herself. Blood poured from her pale form, both from her ears and the multiple gashes along her body caused by what looked like a sword and a series of multiple, miniature blades. Her limbs were strung up at awkward angles. Her body was still dripping blood as though her heart were still struggling to beat.

Usagi knew however that the blood fell only because of gravity. There was no life left in any of her friends.

"Too much… Too much. No one deserves that. No one deserves to die in such a manner. They didn't deserve to die…" Usagi forced out through clenched teeth. "I swear, Beryl will pay for what she has done to you, everyone."

With those words, the silver haired girl spat out her henshin command and broke into a run, watching as her path was guided by torches lighting the way.

* * *

One chapter left, everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I'll try to have the last chapter out as soon as my schedule allows.


	14. Die For You

Author's note 1: I never expected to choose this song as the last song for this story, but it does seem fitting in terms of the title. Anyways, my goofiness aside, I'm typing this having just posted the tenth chapter, "The Last Song I'm Wasting on You." Been working on it for a while, but finally feels like its time to start putting it into a more sharable format. I haven't finished the eleventh chapter, as this one is begging to be written. Thought I'd give everyone a bit of time frame there (October 16, 2010). It's a little sad to be writing this, but I'm glad to finally be putting this one to bed. I've loved the direction this story has taken, as I hope everyone has. I want to thank everyone who read this piece over the years and want to apologize for taking so long to finish it.

* * *

It seems the pain's been traded,  
Since I pulled you through.  
And now my mind's been so jaded,  
And I would kill myself for you  
I'd die for you.

- Die for You by Megan McCauley

* * *

When Mamoru woke, his head throbbed and his entire body felt as though it were missing some vital component. He was cold, and felt weaker than he could ever recall. What's more… He felt like himself. He opened his eyes as he considered the feeling.

The revelation was a mystery to the young man as he slowly rose from where he was lying down. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the clock beside his bed. "11:42 AM."

It was rare that he ever slept so late. The distinct lack of light in his room left him wondering if his alarm clock was wrong. He slowly stood, blushing unconsciously as he realized that he'd been nude as he slept. Usually, he at least wore a pair of sweats.

"Weird," he murmured softly before grabbing the sleep pants that rested on the opposite side of the bed. Strange thing was, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

He slipped into the clothes before heading out of his room and to the balcony. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the almost black sky above. That was when everything hit him.

His head aching. The missing piece. The weakness. The dark. The clothes.

"USAKO!" he shouted at the sky, remembering just what she'd done.

They'd managed to escape, and had been in search of her senshi, hoping that the girls were still alive. They'd been trying to avoid youma along the way, and he'd stopped them before they were discovered. He recalled the way she summoned forth the disguise ability that would allow her to blend in with the youma around them. She was still roaming the dark kingdom with only the disguise protecting her. He should have insisted upon her turning into Sailor Moon.

"_In case… In case we get caught, I doubt we'll have this opportunity. I just… Will you kiss me?__"_ she'd whispered.

She'd deceived him and sent him back to Earth while she went to die stopping Beryl. And now, Mamoru found himself incapable of teleporting anywhere, much less the North Pole entrance to the Dark Kingdom. He shifted into Tuxedo Kamen, hoping that the henshin would allow him to reach her, but no luck. He was cut off, able to do nothing but pray to the gods that she'd come back to him.

"Please, Usako," he pleaded, hoping his words would reach her. "Come back. This world needs you…" _I need you._

Across town, Kenji Tsukino stood outside of the door of the house he'd shared with his wife and children for almost two decades. The house once filled with happy memories now left him feeling betrayed and foolish. The two most important women in his life had been hiding a truth from him, and he couldn't bear the shame of that fact any more. Once Usagi was returned, he would make her live with him and make sure that she gave up her dangerous lifestyle. Sailor Moon or not, his little girl would not risk her life in such a manner.

He walked to the car, carrying his black suitcase at his side. He was heading to an apartment where a coworker was allowing him to stay in a spare room. There, he would find a place with three rooms, one for himself and each of his children.

There would be no sneaking out. Not anymore. Tokyo be damned.

_That is_, he thought as his eyes drifted skyward to stare into the darkness blanketing the normally bright sky, _if it already isn't. _

He climbed into the car and pulled out of the driveway. He refused to acknowledge the pair of indigo eyes watching from an uncurtained window. Ikuko's face was streaked with tears as Shingo clutched at her waist. She never thought it would come to this. Her little family had been so happy. Now, her daughter was captured by an enemy that threatened their very existence, her son was watching his world fall apart around him, and her husband was leaving, shamed by her inability to share a secret that wasn't hers.

She could just hope that things would work out once Usagi was brought back. She'd work with him in forbidding her fighting…Though, could she? Usagi had been fighting since the first attacks so many months ago. She'd been shielding them from her life of battle for so long. Would they really be able to stop her if she was really needed?

Somehow, Ikuko didn't think they could.

* * *

Usagi ran, her aching feet smacking into the ground fervently as she was guided by illuminated torches towards her enemy. Not once did she doubt the way. Jadeite had to have been helping her. Every ounce of her being told her as much.

She felt her augmented chest heaving against the thin clothing that adorned her glamoured form. The air was getting colder. Staler. She was getting close to Beryl. She should henshin and prepare for the final fight of her short life.

But she was scared. The rage fueling her was forcing her to move, but it was the fear of death, of failure, that tried to stop her. She'd sent Mamo-chan away. The girls were dead. Her only ally available could only light her way. What about the final step? She knew that this battle would kill her in her attempt to seal away Metallia and Beryl once and for all. Queen Serenity hadn't been capable of their destruction, and she'd had a lifetime of training with the ginzuishou. What else could a 14 year old reincarnation hope to do, truly?

She had to try though. She owed that much to her friends. To her family. To everyone who'd crossed her path along the way.

In a flash of light following a soft mutter from the disguised girl, Sailor Moon accelerated. This was no time to let her fear control her.

It was no time before she found herself racing into the throne room which she and Mamoru had been teleported to just a short while before. It was emptier than she remembered, though that might have been because now the chamber's only occupant was now the titian queen sitting directly across the room from her.

"So you remained," Beryl stated calmly. "I was convinced that you and Endymion had managed to find a way to escape my Dark Kingdom. Tell me, whore, where is my prince?"

Sailor Moon bit back a retort, stepping forward to face the queen. "He's safe, where you'll never be able to touch him."

"We'll see. It's a pity though. I would so enjoy being able to have him here to witness your death," Beryl joked. "It would be my wedding gift to him before he took his place at my side."

Sailor Moon felt herself growing sick at the idea. "He's broken free of your control before, Beryl. He'd do it again. Whether I was alive or not. You'll never get the chance to know, though. I won't allow it. Your reign ends here."

Beryl smirked before lifting a long fingered hand before her. A ball of energy formed in her palm only to be launched at the petite blonde.

The energy slammed into the ground at the girl's feet, knocking her back. She shrieked in alarm and pain as her back met jagged stone behind her.

"You'll do nothing, Moon brat," Beryl stated proudly. "Nothing but die, leaving the ginzuishou in my possession."

The young warrior stood proudly, feeling the wounds on her back mending already. She lifted her hand to her brow, fingers dancing along the metal of her tiara. She silently hoped the trinket would serve as a good enough distraction to allow her to call forth the full power of the ginzuishou.

"Moon tiara action!" she cried, launching the circlet turned discus at the dark queen. She easily stopped it however with another blast of dark energy which sent it falling dully to the ground.

"Is that all?" Beryl snickered as she stood, towering over the young princess before her. "A little toy. Where's the great ginzuishou? Where is the power that will set Metallia-sama free?"

"Right here," Sailor Moon said as she pulled her wand from her subspace pocket. "Except it will be the power that seals you both away for eternity."

There came no answer from Beryl. Instead, she summoned forth a crystal shard in her palms, the desire to see the blood of this impudent whelp of a girl pool on the ground growing with each word she spoke.

"I tire of this. Metallia-sama is calling for her freedom," Beryl stated. "Goodbye, Sailor Moon."

She launched the crystal at the young girl, expecting the klutziness that had become the joke of the battles amongst her youma to seal her enemy's fate. Instead, a brilliant pink light erupted from the crystal, shielding the girl from harm, causing the shard to shatter before it touched her. The intensity of the light only grew to the point in which Beryl turned her head to shield her eyes.

She quickly realized the mistake in such an action as she felt a shard pierce her abdomen, rupturing her diaphragm. Her hands flew to the wound as the shard dissipated, letting green blood flow forth. Breath grew harder to draw as the pain only increased.

"How?" Beryl snarled as she was forced to double over. "This isn't over, Moon-brat. Metallia-sama! Take unto yourself this form and claim this world as your own!"

Sailor Moon watched through the haze of power that had erupted in the ginzuishou's attempt to protect its mistress as Beryl was circled… absorbed by the darkness within the room. It coated her buxom form, seeped into her pale skin, giving it a blue tint. Her red hair changed to a deep turquoise, and her violet garb shifted to the color of the blood flowing through Sailor Moon's veins.

The pure darkness that emanated from the woman that had been Beryl intensified as Usagi watched her stand. A throaty laugh slithered from the woman's throat, sending shivers down the blonde's spine. Shadowy whips struck out at the barrier still protecting the young girl. She shrieked as one almost broke through the defenses set. The ones that were deflected struck back, hitting the chamber at all sides, causing it to begin to crumble all around them.

The floor beneath them rumbled, trembling beneath the sheer power displayed by the Metallia possessed queen.

"It's time surrender, little princess. It will offer you a quick death if you do," Metallia growled softly as she lifted a hand towards Sailor Moon.

"I will never surrender to a monster like you," replied Moon.

"Very well then… Painful death it is," Metallia stated non-chalantly as she lifted her hands above her head, channeling a large amount of dark energy into an orb shape, only to launch it at Sailor Moon.

The girl screamed in fear as she lifted the crystal before her in an attempt to block the energy. The crystal's energy shifted, forming a cocoon like encasement around the girl's form. As the energy cleared, Metallia found herself incapable of peering within the crystalline shield.

A chuckle emerged from her lips until a soft crack echoed throughout the room. The cocoon shattered, revealing the moon princess' form, still holding the crystal before her.

"That is enough," Serenity snapped, her eyes staring boldly into those of the dark queen before her. "It is time for you to realize that this planet will never be yours. This planet belongs to the people who inhabit it, and I will protect them until my last breath from monsters such as yourself."

"Such grand words from one who reeks of fear," Metallia taunted before gathering energy in her hands at her sides.

"Moon healing escalation!" the princess cried, feeling the sudden pull of power from her frail looking form as the ginzuishou flared to life in a more offensive state.

Metallia launched forth an attack of dark bolts intended to strike her foe dead in one touch. She poured as little energy as she could into the attack, watching as it slowly pushed back the girl's own meager display of power. The bolts licked at the energy the ginzuishou emitted, tasting the purity and wanting to devour it.

A cry erupted from within the power, and Metallia knew the girl was struggling to maintain such an attack. However, the energy she launched only grew and began to push back against Metallia's own. Metallia continued to increase the strength of her own attack, feeling the push of Serenity's own energies continuing to gain in strength.

"Playtime's over," the queen stated before pouring her full power into her attack finally. The brilliant pink white energy began to falter under such an onslaught.

Serenity felt the energy pushing against her own and fought the urge to fall back. To give any space away would be to lose. She just didn't know what to do. Her own life force was waning due to the depletion caused by the use of the ginzuishou.

"Please… don't let me fail. I can't let them down. The others… They died so that I could stop her. Please, ginzuishou," she cried softly.

"Baka Usagi-chan," she heard Rei's voice come from behind her. "You're not the only one charged with stopping her. So stop being so stubborn."

"This is our duty. This is what we were reborn to do," Ami stated from where Usagi could see her standing beside Rei.

"Besides, we can't let this bitch stop the people out there from doing what they want," Makoto stated. "Think of the way everything would just stop if she was in charge."

"Think about all the hot guys out there who would so fall in love with us if they knew what we were doing here. Though you've got Mamoru-san, so I suppose the boys should all just be left to me," Minako quipped from where she leaned against the brunette amazon.

"Everyone…" Usagi whimpered. "Please… Help me."

The four nodded before crying out…

"Mercury power!"

"Mars power!"

"Jupiter power!"

"Venus power!"

The four spirits erupted into brilliant colored lights before being drawn into the crystal. The pink faded from the energy that was being emitted and became a pure white.

"Thank you, everyone," Usagi cried softly before feeling herself harden. If her friends could help her from beyond the physical plane, then she could most certainly do more on her end.

"Moon prism power!" the blonde cried as she poured her remaining energy into the ginzuishou. The power erupted all the more fervently, as though renewed.

Metallia cried out as the power quickly overtook her own energy. She felt her flesh burning as the energy encompassed her, wrapping her in an unforgiving embrace. Her form shifted once more to the red haired queen and then to the black haired servant she'd been during the Silver Millennium.

"No..." Beryl whimpered before her body disintegrated.

The power continued to spread, encompassing the bodies of the senshi, Jadeite, and where he remained in Endymion's chambers, Kunzite. Their forms faded from the Dark Kingdom as the multitude of youma shrieked in agony as they were purified and destroyed.

The glow continued until it encompassed the entirety of the North Pole before spreading to the entirety of the Earth, healing the damage done by the Dark Kingdom's presence. Once it was finished, the power faded, leaving the small senshi of the moon to fall back onto the snow, her body too numb to feel its icy bite against her skin.

"Please, ginzuishou," she whispered weakly. "I want it back.

"The mornings when mama yells at seven o'clock that I'm going to be late as the white curtains sway in the breeze of an open window. The standing out in the hall and the failed tests. The crepes I eat with friends after school that make it worth it. The party dresses that we see decorating the shop windows. The days I stay out a little too late and papa gets a little over excited at mama's joke about my being out with a boy. I want that ordinary life back. For all of us. Please…"

The last word drifted on the breeze as one last surge of light poured forth from the crystal lying on the ground beside the fallen warrior. Slowly, she too faded.

* * *

A new day dawned all over the world. In Tokyo, Kenji woke just before sunrise and smiled at his beautiful wife who still slept beside him. It was Sunday. Maybe he'd take his family out on a picnic. He was sure that everyone would enjoy such an outing. Some fresh air and a chance to refresh themselves before another week of hecticness would be nice.

Mamoru woke late and dressed quickly once he realized that he could no longer change into Tuxedo Kamen. He raced from his apartment building into the parking garage. A dream had haunted his sleep, which he couldn't recall falling into. The sleep however made him think that perhaps it was all over. He had to see however. Had to find out if it was true.

He sped to her house, recalling the way from when he'd taken her home. He stopped when he saw that there wasn't a car in the drive. Maybe her father had to work? He pulled up to the curb and walked up the path to the door, ringing the bell. There was no response. No sound of steps racing to the door. No shouts of the siblings directed at each other in a display if affectionate rivalry.

Was he wrong? Was it still going on? Had it ended, only with his dream having come true of her dying in the bitter cold.

No…

He had to find the other senshi, See if they could tell him anything.

He next headed to the Hikawa Jinja. He climbed the steps two at a time in his haste.

There he saw Yuuichirou sitting on the steps of the shrine, nursing an abused head while he heard Rei barking at a stranger.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned.

The answer wasn't heard as he walked up to the young woman's grandfather's apprentice.

"Yuuichirou-san…" Mamoru started. "Might I ask who Rei-chan is yelling at?"

The shaggy haired young man blinked at him.

"I'm sorry. Are you a friend of Rei-san's?" he asked.

Mamoru nodded. "I've come to talk to her but I don't want to interrupt her when she's mad."

Yuuichirou blushed and Mamoru realized why he was nursing his head. "We had a new guy turn up asking to be Ojii-san's new assistant. He agreed, but the minute Rei-san saw him she… Well, you can hear."

"Uh huh…" Mamoru muttered. "I'm going to go try to calm her down. Stay right here."

Without even waiting for a response, Mamoru headed in the direction of Rei's voice before spotting the stranger. His heart stopped in response as he took in the tall broad shouldered blond's appearance.

"Mamoru-san!" Rei exclaimed before walking hurriedly over to him. "Can you explain to me why Jadeite is here and claiming to be one of your shitennou instead of Beryl's? I thought that he was still under her control, but then, he almost got angry when I mentioned that."

"Rei-chan… What is the last thing you remember? Before today?"

She stopped and thought about his question for a moment before her mouth grew wide.

"Usagi-chan!" she whispered softly. She unconsciously reached into her subspace pocket for her henshin wand only to find that it wasn't there. Communicator, yes, but wand, no. "Where is she—I didn't even think to look for her…"

Mamoru shook his head. "I don't know. I woke up and went to her house. Her family wasn't home. I don't know where to find her."

"I'll try to contact the others. See if they know where she is," Rei stated. "You see if you can locate her using the—"

"I can't feel her," he admitted softly. "There was always a link. It's what made me want to pick on her. I never knew how to react around her otherwise. I felt it that acutely."

Rei frowned. "Well, think about everything you know about her. Where do you usually see her? I've a feeling that if you look where you usually bump into each other that'll give us some advantage in our search. I'll call the others and see if they know where she is and if not, we'll search too. We'll contact each other if one of us finds her."

"How?" Mamoru asked pointed.

"We still have our communicators. Well, I do. That's how I'll try to contact them first. To confirm if they have theirs. Or… Crap…" Rei pulled her communicator out and pressed the symbol for moon on its surface. The two waited for a few minutes before admitting that no one was going to answer. "All right. I'll give you mine and call the girls using my phone. I'll meet up with Ami since she lives closest to me, and we'll go from there."

An hour after the plan was made, none had experienced any luck. Mamoru had driven to the school, hoping that she'd have woken up thinking that school was in session, to the arcade, which was just opening with no odango'ed blonde in sight. To the local ice cream parlor. And now, he was scouring the park, searching for the girl in question.

He was giving up on hope, almost believing that perhaps his dream had been her last message to him of what her fate had been.

Then he heard it.

"Shingo-kun, you little brat!" he heard someone exclaim. He felt his hopes rising as the sound of a young boy's laughter started speeding towards him. A blur of chestnut brown , tan, green and blue raced past him and shortly after, a bundle of gold and pink smashed into him, knocking the two to the ground.

Mamoru groaned as the figure moved off of him, apologizing profusely.

"Usako…" he muttered as he finally looked at her.

She looked at him, tilting her head to the side in confusion and a distinct lack of recognition.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked softly.

He looked strangely familiar, like something out of a dream. She couldn't place him anywhere though. When she'd crashed into him, she instinctively knew that she wouldn't hit the ground like she normally did, but she couldn't understand why. What was it about this guy that left her feeling so odd.

Mamoru felt a pain rip through his chest. She was alive, but didn't remember. He'd never even contemplated that. From what he'd heard from Rei, the other senshi and even Jadeite recalled the events of what had taken place. Why didn't she?

"Usagi-baka, who's this? Some boyfriend?"

"N-No!" Usagi retorted weakly, a blush coloring her cheeks. "I just ran into—Shingo, you're dead!"

He watched as the two siblings took off once more in their race, leaving him wondering just what the younger brother had done to incur his sister's wrath.

He waited until the two were out of sight before pulling out Rei's communicator and hitting the all call button. "I found her. She's alive. She doesn't seem to remember, but she's alive."

They all seemed to want to ask a hundred questions each, but Mamoru was too dazed to consider answering.

"We'll discuss this at the temple later," Minako had stated, asserting herself to take the role of leader once more. She may have only had her crescent moon broach to become Sailor V, but they still respected her authority.

They agreed to meet up the next day after Ami's cram school had let out, hoping that Luna and Artemis would turn up as well, as the two had yet to make an appearance.

On Monday, they all resumed their normal lives, with school and, in Mamoru's case, work. He proceeded to head to the arcade to talk with Motoki only to find Usagi waiting for him.

"I thought I recognized you," she said softly, leaning against the window close to the door. "I've seen you so often that it's almost silly."

She would recognize him from his trips to the arcade. Why didn't she recognize him picking on her though?

"Yeah," he murmured. "I thought you'd be inside."

Usagi shook her head. "No… I was waiting on you. I wanted to ask you something."

"All right," Mamoru ushered gently. His chest was aching at the way she seemed so demure around him. So unlike herself.

"Will you kiss me?" she asked softly. "I never gave you the opportunity last time…"

Mamoru almost burst into tears at her words.

"Usako…" he murmured. "You—"

"Remember," she said with a nod.

That was all he needed to hear. Mamoru wrapped his arms around the petite blonde and leaned down, letting his lips touch her in what seemed like a lifetime. Her form melded against his, and Mamoru felt the shared connection flare to life between them once more.

"So I take it something brought her memories back," they heard Makoto say from behind Mamoru.

"Though whose memories, because I'm sure they weren't to a point where they were making out in public," Rei countered with a smirk as the two broke apart, with Usagi blushing brilliantly.

"Such a display of affection though!" Minako squealed. "Isn't it wonderful? They've found each other all over again."

"Back for a day and they're already interrupting us," Usagi muttered softly as she buried her face in Mamoru's chest. "When did we wind up back in the Silver Millennium?"

"Ah, they were worried. Give them a break," Mamoru said, kissing the top of her head lightly. "Besides, we've got all the time in the world to avoid them now."

Usagi laughed softly and rested her head on his chest so that her nose wasn't quite so smushed. He was right. She remembered and that meant that she'd once again found Mamoru. Him and her friends were all she needed, even though sometimes she'd be willing to trade the latter for more time with the former.

* * *

END NOTE: It's finished. I hope everyone enjoyed the final chapter. It's taken me long enough to finish it, right? No sequel this time around. I might wind up working on I Can't Stay Away a little bit though. Turn it into a chapter fic, though I've got another one on the back burner already (Already Met You). I'll leave that decision up to my readers, though. Usagi and Mamoru or Minako and Kunzite.

And I know I never mentioned what happened with Kunzite. Well, his spirit had already moved on. Jadeite had been trapped by Beryl as eternal punishment. I had to do it.


End file.
